


Cyniclon Saga

by EntameWitchLulu



Category: Tokyo Mew Mew
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Retelling, F/M, I wrote this when I was 13, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, literally no one is in character please restrain your expectations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:22:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 52
Words: 178,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23446195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EntameWitchLulu/pseuds/EntameWitchLulu
Summary: It has been years since the Cyniclons have even thought about their old gods, much less think that they exist.  After all, they have more important things to worry about, like the constant threat of a kirema attack.  But for fifteen-year-old Kish, gods and kirema anima are nothing more than long ago fantasies.For years he’s lived with his mother at the edge of Kyoto City, right beside the forest.  Even in this time of peace, the forest is shrouded in rumors and mystery, and when he was only twelve, his father died there under mysterious circumstances.  Kish doesn’t buy the story about his father getting sick while on a journey, and every night since his father’s death, Kish has been having strange dreams…Suddenly Kish discovers that he isn’t as normal as he thought… Kish mysteriously transforms into a super powered form and discovers the Kyaldians.The epic story of what actually happened before Kish went to Earth.  Will Kish be able to save the world and finish his homework on time???
Relationships: Aoyama Masaya/Momomiya Ichigo, OC/Quiche
Kudos: 1





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> For the first time on Ao3, introducing the first major fanfiction I ever finished, completely preserved from its original posting on Quizilla (including the above godawful summary) in honor of Tokyo Mew Mew's 20th anniversary! I apologize for nothing!

He was dreaming again.

_Where am I?_

Everything was pitch-black, making it impossible to see. A tiny dot of light appeared in the distance. As the spot grew, he could see a figure standing in the light. The figure was tall and wearing what seemed to be a long blue cloak. His – or her – hair was so long that it brushed the ground and such a deep black that it rivaled the darkness around it.

_Do I…know you?_

The figure remained silent. He felt like he was screaming through the darkness.

_Why won’t you answer?_

There was a flash of blue, silver, purple and green light, as though about to hit the figure.

_Wait!_

The light vanished instantly, replaced by the flash of the figure’s bright red eyes.

The red light winked out and he searched frantically through the darkness. No prick of light appeared. Another figure – or was it merely an image – moved toward him.

She was on her knees, gloved hands hanging uselessly in front of her. Light that he could not see created shadows across her pink dress. His gaze found her face. The black cat ears that poked from her light pink hair drooped and crystalline tears ran down her face.

_Who are you?_

She continued to cry, as though she couldn’t hear him.

_Why are you crying?_

His eyes moved to the figure on the ground in front of her. Why wouldn’t his eyes focus?

_Is it…_

The picture began to clear…

_…Because…_

Suddenly the picture threw itself into focus revealing a boy with dark green hair and big ears.

_…Of me?_

Kish snapped awake and jerked up in bed. Still panting, he stared into the night sky out his window. Cold sweat covered his face and he wiped at it with a sleeve.

“That dream again…” he murmured.


	2. A Strange Start – The New Year of High School Begins!

“Hey Kish! You awake yet?”

Kish groaned. He stuck his head under his pillow to block out the voice.

“Kish!”

Kish burrowed deeper under the covers.

“Come on Kish! Rise and shine, shortcake!”

Kish shot out of bed, darted to the window and hurled a book out at the figure below. The figure fell back and landed hard on the ground.

“Ow!”

“Bryn, stop giving me stupid nicknames!!” Kish shouted out the window.

The brown haired Cyniclon sat up and gave Kish an impish grin, green eyes twinkling.

“Sure woke you up quick though!” he said. “Hurry up, everybody’s waiting at the cross road.”

Kish blinked.

“Why?”

Bryn rolled his eyes and stood up.

“First day as a second year, sunshine! I thought you were the studious one.”

“Great Blue, I totally forgot!”

Kish zipped from the window and struggled into his uniform. He hurtled down the stairs and grabbed his bag.

“Kish? Aren’t you going to eat your breakfast?”

His mom was standing in the doorway. She flicked a strand of brown hair from her face.

“Sorry mom, I’m already late,” Kish said.

His mom sighed.

“Okay, but stick to the main road –”

“Yeah, yeah, and stay out of the woods,” said Kish. “Bye!”

Kish jogged over to where Bryn was waiting.

“Well come on, Drenny-Kish!” said Bryn.

Kish hit Bryn hard on the head.

“Ow!”

“Stop with the stupid nicknames,” Kish said.

“Okay, okay.”

Kish picked up the book he had thrown at Bryn. A piece of paper fell from it. Bryn grabbed it before it hit the ground and glanced at it.

“Hey, did you draw this?” he asked.

Kish blinked and took the drawing from him. It showed the girl from his dream in black and white, still kneeling and crying.

“Oh, yeah,” said Kish.

“That’s the girl you told me about right?” said Bryn. “The one in your dream.”

Kish nodded.

“Seriously, you should go see that one fortuneteller about that,” Bryn said. “Maybe it will give you better insight.”

“I don’t really think so,” said Kish.

He took the picture and slid it back into the book. Then he stuffed the book in his bag.

“Okay, let’s go,” said Kish.

They ran down the road. They had just turned the corner – 

“WATCH OUT!”

Kish skidded to a stop just as a black Dragon Pegasus shot from the bushes, a tiny rider clinging to its back.

“Whoa girl! Come on! Stop! AUGH!”

The small rider flew from the winged horse’s back. The Pegasus darted back into the woods. Kish walked over to the figure on the ground.

“You okay?”

“Ow,” said Taruto.

“That counts as okay!” said a cheery voice.

A girl nearly exactly like Taruto with slightly longer hair bounced from the bushes.

“He still has feeling in his butt!” she announced.

“Thanks for your words of sympathy,” Taruto groaned, standing up carefully.

“Wow, Dragon Pegasii?” said Bryn. “I thought you were working on riding wyverns!”

“He was,” said Tanya. “But he’s finished that project.”

Kish and Bryn stared at Taruto. He shrugged.

“Wyverns are pretty easy with the right amount of food incentives,” said Taruto. “Anyways, I’ll get it next time!”

“Right, twenty-eighth time lucky, right ‘lil bro?” said Tanya.

“For the last time Tanya,” said Taruto. “You are NOT older than me!”

Tanya grinned.

“Only stating the facts,” she said. “I  _ was  _ born first.”

“By twenty seconds!”

Bryn laughed and Kish smiled in spite of himself.

“Well come on you two,” said Bryn. “We’ve got to meet with the others.”

“'K,” said Tanya.

The four jogged through the city gates and they finally made it to the crossroad.

“Morning Kish!” said a girl with long purple hair in two low pigtails. “You finally made it!”

“I got him awake eventually,” said Bryn.

Kish rolled his eyes.

“Morning Kendra,” he said. “Hi Mairead.”

A girl with wavy red hair looked down quickly, flushing.

“Oh, hi!” she said.

Kish blinked.

“Mairead, are you okay?” he asked.

“She’s fine,” said Kendra, giving Kish a look that he didn’t entirely understand.

The group made their way down the street towards the school building.

“Finally, we won’t be lowly first-years!” said Bryn. “There will be new first years to look down upon!”

“Bryn, I don’t think that’s the point of getting a year older,” said Kish.

“It isn’t,” said Kendra, rolling her eyes. “Besides Bryn, isn’t your little brother going to be in school with you now?”

“Alas, I have no younger brother!” said Bryn dramatically.

“Sure, sure,” said Kendra, nudging him so that he nearly fell over. “There’s no denying that you’re related.”

Bryn sighed dramatically.

“I can hide nothing from you, my sweet rose,” he said.

Kendra hit him hard on the head.

“No nicknames,” she said.

“Ow,” he said. “Do I have a bump on my head yet?”

“Not yet,” said Tanya cheerily. “Well, this is where me and Taruto turn.”

“See you guys after school,” said Kish.

“Uh, actually I won’t be able to meet you after school,” said Taruto.

“Why not?” said Bryn. “We were all going downtown.”

“Well, I, uh, I’m busy,” said Taruto. “Come on Tanya.”

The two ran down the street.

“What do you think that was about?” asked Kendra.

“Who knows?” said Kish.

He narrowed his eyes in thought.

“Taruto doesn’t usually keep secrets, even about his ‘projects,’” he said. “I don’t know what he’s up to.”

“Well, let’s not tarry,” said Bryn. “Onward into the unknown wilderness otherwise known as high school!”

“Bryn, you seriously need to join drama club,” said Kendra.

“Ah, but my talents are far too great for the mere usage of drama!” 

“Drama is all you use it for,” said Kish.

He glanced over at Mairead, who was being extremely quiet.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Mairead jumped and let out a muffled ‘eep!’

“Fine!” she said, flushing beet red.

“Um, okay,” said Kish.

Mairead hadn’t been like this last year. They’d been best friends since childhood – right?

They stepped through the doors into the school. The hallway was total chaos – students were everywhere, screaming, yelling, chatting, and pretty much any other form of speech. A bunch of fifth years hung out in the back, not saying much. A few new first years nervously glanced at the tall sixth year group that was chatting loudly. The second years were all smiling brightly and sent a few glances at the first years – some mischievous and others comforting.

“Bryn! My brother of brother-ness!” 

Kish glanced over the heads of the first years. A tall and gangly first year jumped from the crowd. He looked almost exactly like Bryn, though his eyes were a lighter green. He jumped forward and gave Kendra a hug.

“It has been too long – ” 

A huge fan hit the boy on the head and he spun in a dizzy circle. A girl with small pointed ears and auburn hair stood with her arms crossed. She was an elf.

“Cheating on me again?” she said.

“Of course not, my dear Kokoro!” he said. “You are the most beautiful thing in the entire universe –”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it a million times,” she said.

She flicked her bangs from her face.

“I can already see the resemblance,” said Kish.

“Everyone can,” said the girl. “Except Bryn refuses to join drama club and Rikuto’s entire life  _ is _ drama club.”

“No!” said Rikuto. “You are my life, my darling Kokoro, as sweet as a rose on a warm summer day –” 

Kokoro hit Rikuto on the head with the fan again.

“I swear, I’m going to give you a serious concussion one of these days,” she said.

She turned to Bryn.

“So you going to introduce me, or should I do it myself?”

“Kokoro, this is Kendra, Kish and Mairead,” said Bryn, flashing a grin. “This is Kokoro. My brother’s girlfriend.”

“More like his girl-fiend,” said Kokoro, rolling her eyes. “He can be such an idiot sometimes.”

“What classes are you taking your first year?” Kish asked Kokoro.

“Oh, just usual stuff, plus art and dimensional studies,” said Kokoro. “And the idiot is taking drama, drama, and drama.”

“You wound me,” said Rikuto. “I am also taking dimensional studies!”

“Only because I’m in it,” said Kokoro. “And I bet you’ll be asking me for ALL of my notes!”

Kish tuned out their argument.

“Hey Kendra, are you taking any new classes?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she said. “I thought I’d try drama and dimensional studies.”

She jerked a thumb at Mairead.

“And since she’s too shy to tell you, I’ll tell you that she’s taking dimensional studies, Music and she’s trying out for the choir.”

“The choir?” said Kish.

Mairead stared at her feet and nodded.

“That’s great,” Kish said. “I remember you sounded really good at the concerts in elementary school.”

Mairead flushed even redder than before and mumbled what sounded like ‘thank you.’ Kish wasn’t exactly sure why. What had happened? It felt like just last week she had been talking to him fine.

“What about you, Kish?” asked Bryn.

“Well, uh,” Kish faltered.

Bryn snatched Kish’s schedule from him and studied it. He let out a low whistle.

“Great Blue, you’re taking all of the available classes?”

“Let me see,” said Kendra. “Whoa! Overachiever alert!”

“I’ll have that back,” said Kish testily, jerking his schedule from her hands.

“And you’re trying out for the band!” said Bryn. “Looks like we won’t be seeing much of you this year!”

“You’re forgetting how fast he always did his homework last year,” said Kendra, grinning. “Going to graduate early?”

“Come on, it’s not that big of a deal,” Kish muttered. “My first class is history, what about you?”

“I’ve got history, too,” said Kokoro.

“Alas, my first class is algebra!” said Rikuto. “I shall not be able to protect you from the slings of the older students –”

Kokoro hit Rikuto on the head with the fan.

“I think she can take care of herself,” said Kish, hiding a laugh.

“Well, Mairead’s first class is history,” said Kendra. “Go on.”

Kendra nudged Mairead forward.

“Me and Bryn have science,” said Kendra. “You go up ahead.”

“I’ll come along,” said Kokoro.

She lowered her voice.

“Actually it’s to get away from the idiot.”

“If you really hate him, why do you go out with him?” asked Kish.

“I don’t  _ hate _ him,” said Kokoro. “Actually, arguing with him is the fun part. If we stopped arguing, I’d be nervous.”

Kish laughed. Suddenly he thought he heard someone talking angrily behind him. He turned around and saw a young first year with long black hair.

“I’m perfectly capable of walking myself down a hallway,” she snapped.

Kish blinked. The person standing next to her must be her father, but the weird thing was that Kish knew him. It was one of his mom’s friends, Pai.

“You don’t have to walk with me to a classroom!” she said angrily.

She stormed down the hallway, passing right by Kish. She stopped just before she passed him completely and turned to look at him. Kish blinked.

“What are you looking at?” she said.

Then she stalked into the classroom.

“Orla –” Pai started, too late.

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, then turned and walked outside.

“Well, that was interesting,” said Kish, staring after Orla.

“So that’s her,” said Kokoro thoughtfully.

“That’s who?” asked Kish, turning to her.

Rikuto appeared from nowhere.

“That’s the girl that we heard about before we came,” he said. “She used to go to a private school.”

“So?”

“The thing is,” said Kokoro. “She’s really odd.”

“Odd?” said Kish.

“Yeah,” said Rikuto. “There's been rumors that she isn’t a Cyniclon.”

“What else could she be?” said Kish.

Rikuto glanced around at the busy hall. No one was paying any attention to him. Rikuto turned back to Kish and lowered his voice.

“Well,” he muttered. “You didn’t hear it from me, but they’re saying that she’s Azulda reincarnated.”

Kish narrowed his eyes. He had never heard the name, yet it seemed familiar to him…

“Azulda…”

The name sent chills down his spine.


	3. Flash Across the Sky- A New Sort of Power

Kish slipped into the history classroom, Mairead beside him.

“So how did your last voice lesson go?” he asked.

“Fine,” said Mairead. 

She sat down and stared at her desk.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” asked Kish. “You look like you have a fever.”

Mairead blinked and looked up at him.

“Really?” she said.

“Yeah,” said Kish.

“I think I’m okay,” said Mairead, twirling a strand of hair around her finger.

“You only think?” said Kish, smiling. 

Then he frowned.

“Did I do something to upset you or something?” he asked. “You’re really quiet today.”

“Oh, of course not!” said Mairead. “I guess – maybe I’m just nervous about the first day of second year.”

Kish was going to say something else, but just then the door opened and the teacher walked in. Kish stared at her. Had this teacher been here last year?

She wasn’t Cyniclon; that was for sure. And she definitely wasn’t an elf or a mortal spirit. Her eyes were round orbs of green with no white and slitted pupils. Her nose was tiny and twitched like a cat. Two huge yellow ears poked from her short blond hair. Her hands were paw-like and covered in short yellow and orange striped fur. A yellow cat’s tail flicked behind her. She moved with a cat-like grace to the front desk and surveyed the class.

Everyone fell silent the instant her green eyes swept the class.

“Now,” she said.

There was a fluid sound to her voice, like water being poured into a cup.

“I am Sensei Meav,” she said, still staring unblinkingly into the crowd. 

She picked up a piece of paper on the desk, tiny claws glittering on the tips of her fingers.

“When I call your name, please raise your hand so that I know you’re here.”

“Amber, Yuki,” she said.

A sylph in the front raised his hand.

“Ceunon, Hanon.”

A water spirit raised her hand timidly.

A few other names were called.

“Fallinor, Kish.”

Kish raised his hand. Meav’s eyes rested on Kish for a minute longer than it had on the others. Kish got a strange feeling that she knew him…

* * *

“Strange teacher,” said Kish out loud. “Was she a neko?”

“I thought so,” said Mairead. “She looked at you longer than anyone else.”

Kish started and turned to look at Mairead. She had noticed too?

“I noticed,” she admitted. “To be honest, she kind of scares me.”

“Maybe she’s a stalker,” said Kokoro.

“Oh, come off it,” said Kish.

However, he was starting to feel uneasy.

“Well, I have dimensional studies,” said Kokoro. “See you later Kish, Mairead.”

“See you,” said Kish.

Kish swallowed. What if Kokoro was right and Meav was some kind of stalker? That look had felt intimidating. Did she actually know him? Or was something else going on? Suddenly a girl brushed past him.

“Oh, sorry,” he said.

“No, it was my fault,” she said.

Kish blinked. Was this girl seriously a high schooler?

She was tall, that was for sure and had that athletic grace of an elf. Her gold hair fell down her shoulders and eyes were a bright blue. Yet her face seemed too youthful, as though she was only twelve or thirteen.

“Oh,” she said. “Have we met before?’

Kish got the feeling that she knew who he was for some reason and was only asking to feign ignorance.

“Ah, no, I don’t think so,” said Kish. “I’m Kish.”

The girl nodded, as though she had expected that.

“I am Leoti,” she said. “This is my first year at high school.”

For some reason, that sounded like a lie too.

“Kish? What’s taking so long?” asked Mairead.

She peeked over her shoulder and her expression became unreadable.

“Oh.”

“Hello,” said Leoti airily. “I know who you are, I saw you at last year’s singing contest. You’re Mairead.”

“Yeah,” said Mairead. “Who are you?”

“My name is Leoti.”

Kish felt extremely uncomfortable around Leoti, kind of the same feeling he got around Meav. Geez, how many stalkers did he have?

“Well, uh, it was nice meeting you Leoti,” said Kish. “Mairead, let’s go, we’ll be late for class.”

They both hurried down the hall.

“Geez, this the second time today someone’s given me a weird feeling,” said Kish.

“A weird feeling?” asked Mairead.

“Yeah, you know, like Meav gave me a weird feeling,” said Kish. “I kind of hope I don’t run into her again; I could swear that she knew me but was pretending not to.”

For some strange reason Mairead seemed to brighten at those comments.

* * *

“Good luck,” Kish whispered.

Mairead smiled nervously at him and walked onto the stage. Kish watched her from the wings, taking glances at the three judges for the auditions. The music started and Kish held his breath. Mairead began to sing.

_ “Days of burning sun _

_ Watch the _

_ Colors run. _

_ Into pools which catch the eye. _

_ Disappear as you pass by! _

_ You’re my summer rain! _

_ You’re my summer rain! _

_ And I know _

_ That I’ll see you again _

_ And I know _

_ That I’ll see you again.” _

Kish bit his tongue as one of the judges signaled for her to stop. She had barely started! The three whispered with each other for a few minutes, then motioned to Mairead that she was dismissed.

Mairead walked quickly back stage.

“I didn’t even get halfway through!” she said. “What if that means I’m horrible?”

“You’re not horrible,” said Kish firmly. “You sounded amazing to me.”

Mairead flushed and smiled.

“Thanks,” she said.

“So when will you know if you’ve been chosen?” he asked.

“Tomorrow,” said Mairead. “Do mind if I hang around until your audition?”

“I don’t mind,” said Kish. “In fact, it’s better if you’re here.”

Mairead blushed slightly.

Kish waited for what felt like hours until it was finally time for band auditions. He swallowed and took out his flute. (Yes, Kish plays the flute. I don’t want to hear any comments about it!!)

He walked out onto the stage. It was extremely nerve-wracking staring out at the empty auditorium and the three impassive judges. He swallowed again and prepared to play. Without entirely realizing it, he played the song. He felt like he wasn’t in the auditorium anymore. He was back at home with his mom and dad and his mom was trying to teach him how to play.

_ “See, you hold it like this,” his mom said. “Then you have to move certain fingers to make different sounds. Try this one.” _

_ His mother played one crystalline note. _

_ “Now you try.” _

_ Kish put the flute to his lips and tried to copy his mom’s fingers. The sound felt off. _

_ “Keep trying,” his mom encouraged. _

_ Finally a shaky but clear note came from Kish’s flute. _

_ “You’ve got it!” his mom said. _

_ His dad ruffled his hair. _

_ “I still don’t understand wind instruments,” he said. _

_ “That’s because you waste your time with stringed ones,” Kish’s mom said playfully. _

Kish finished playing. He waited as the judges whispered, then motioned that he was done. He walked backstage quickly.

“Well?” he asked Mairead.

“It was amazing,” she said, beaming.

Kish grinned.

“Well that’s a load off my chest,” he said, putting the flute away. “Mairead, I need to stop by the school library for a few minutes. Did you want to come?”

“Sure,” said Mairead.

The pair walked down to the school library.

“Are you sure its still open?” Mairead asked.

“They kept it open after school last year,” said Kish, pushing the door open. 

The library was silent. Kish held the door open for Mairead to slip through, then let it close gently. Even the muffled thud of the closing door seemed loud. The air felt dusty and very few rays of sunlight peeped through the windows.

“Weird,” said Kish. “It feels like no one’s been in here for months, but the summer school uses it during the summer.”

“Yeah,” said Mairead. “Do you get the feeling we shouldn’t be here?”

“This will only take a minute,” said Kish.

He walked into an aisle, Mairead following close behind.

“Let’s see, A, A, where is A… Okay, AI, AL, AW, here, AZ.”

Kish pulled a heavy book from the shelf.

“What exactly are you looking up, Kish?” asked Mairead, following him over to a table.

“Rikuto said something about Azulda today,” said Kish, flipping open the book. “I thought I’d heard the name before but I couldn’t remember where.”

He leafed through the book and landed on a middle page. The top read The Old Gods.

“We never learned about that in school,” said Mairead, leaning over.

“This book seems really old,” said Kish. “To tell the truth I don’t think I seen anything like it before.”

He scanned the page and found Azulda.

“ ‘An old goddess worshiped during the Old Earth Period,’” he read. “ ‘Thought by the ancients to be a cruel goddess who rampaged the world unless appeased with blood sacrifice.’ Well that’s cheerful, huh, Mairead?”

There was no answer. Kish turned to look up at Mairead. She seemed suddenly fragile and pale.

“Mairead?”

Kish followed her gaze to a picture on the opposite side of the page he was reading. There were two Cyniclon-like figures, both wearing long dark blue garments and both with long black hair. However, the one on the left appeared to be male with icy blue eyes and the one on the right was female with fiery red eyes. Kish swallowed. The female seemed too close to his dream for comfort…

Mairead made a strange noise beside him, half sounding like she was choking and half sounding like she was trying to speak in another language. Kish whipped around to look at her. She was white as a sheet and her pupils had shrunk.

“Mairead!”

Kish jumped to his feet and grabbed Mairead’s shoulders.

“Mairead! Mairead! Mairead say something!”

She continued to make that noise, still staring at the page as though she wasn’t really seeing it. Kish shook her, trying to make her look at him.

“Mairead!”

Mairead’s eyes rolled up and she fell from the chair in a dead faint.

“Mairead!”

Kish knocked the chair out of the way and knelt next to her, still shaking her.

“Wake up! Mairead!”

“Get back! Move out of the way boy!”

Kish jerked around. Meav shoved him out of the way and put a furred hand on Mairead’s chest, rising and falling with the ragged breaths. Meav murmured something under her breath. Kish watched, hardly able to breathe. Finally, Meav stopped muttering and took her hand away from Mairead. Mairead’s breaths slowed and became normal again. Her eyes fluttered open.

“What—what just happened?” she asked groggily.

“That’s what I’d like to know,” said Meav, flicking her cat-like eyes to Kish.

Kish swallowed. Meav really gave him a weird feeling.

“I was looking something up and then Mairead started staring at the one picture and she started making this weird noise,” he said. “Then she fainted.”

“Let me see this book,” said Meav.

Kish slid the book from the table and handed it to Meav. She studied the page for a moment, then looked back at Kish. Her look was measuring, sending chills down Kish’s back.

“Now why were you looking this up?” Meav said softly.

“Someone mentioned Azulda today,” said Kish. “I thought I’d heard the name before but I couldn’t think of where.”

Meav still watched Kish carefully, never blinking. Mairead groaned. Kish snapped his attention away from Meav.

“Excuse me, Meav-sensei, but I really need to get Mairead to the nurse,” he said.

Kish hurried over to Mairead and helped her up.

“Can you walk?”

“I think so,” said Mairead. “Really I think I’m fine.”

She took a few steps and nearly fell over. Kish caught her.

“I don’t think you’re fine,” he said. “I’m taking you to the nurse’s office.”

“But—”

“No buts. I’ll carry you.”

Mairead let Kish pick her up and carry her out into the hall. As they got further from the library, Mairead seemed to get slowly better. Kish wondered what was going on. By the time they were halfway to the nurse’s office, Mairead seemed to really notice that Kish was carrying her.

“Uh, you can put me down now,” she said.

“We’re not there yet,” said Kish.

“But I feel much better now!” Mairead said. “Really!”

“Let’s wait until the nurse decides that for sure.”

Mairead flushed and didn’t say anything else. They went into the nurse’s office and Kish set Mairead down on the bed.

“Excuse me,” he said to the nurse at the desk. “My friend fainted, and she still seems a bit pale.”

“I’ll take a look,” the nurse said.

The nurse was a mortal water spirit with blue scaly skin. Fin-like ears stuck from her seaweed green hair. She touched Mairead’s forehead gently with webbed hands.

“No fever,” she said.

A water-like spark flew from the nurse’s fingers and zoomed around Mairead a few times. Then it came back to the water spirit’s fingers and vanished.

“You seem fine,” she said. “Do you know what made you faint?”

“Probably just nerves,” said Mairead.

Kish gave a mental sigh. He hadn’t been sure how to explain the book.

“Well be more careful,” she said. “And you, take care of her.”

This last comment was directed at Kish.

“Don’t worry,” he said.

Mairead blushed.

* * *

“Geez, what took you guys so long?” asked Bryn.

“We had a bit of trouble, but it’s all good,” said Kish.

Bryn raised an eyebrow, but let it go.

“Well, you ready to go to the boardwalk?” he asked. “You haven’t been there yet have you?”

“I don’t think so,” said Kish. “I thought we were planning on going downtown.”

“We were,” said Kendra. “Unfortunately several enemies caught wind of that, so we’re going to avoid them.”

“You have enemies?” said Kish, grinning.

“Yes,” said Kendra. “Nasty ones too. But I don’t feel like kicking their butts today.”

Tanya giggled.

“Hey where is Taruto?” Kish asked Tanya. “He said he wouldn’t make it, but what is he doing?”

Tanya giggled again.

“Sorry, I can’t tell you,” she said. “Taruto swore me to silence.”

“Even if Taruto swore you to silence, that doesn’t mean you won’t tell,” said Mairead. “I don’t remember the last time you kept a secret.”

“Exactly!” said Tanya. “I like to throw people off like that!”

Kendra rolled her eyes, grinning.

“How can you throw anyone off?” she asked. “You’re always contrary, no one expects anything different.”

“Oh, Kendra-nee-san,” said Tanya. 

The group walked down to the boardwalk, still chatting and laughing. 

“Whoa, the boardwalk is really busy!” said Kish.

“Everything happens here,” said Bryn. “So naturally, everyone wants to see it.”

“Sometimes you don’t make any sense,” said Kish.

“Hey look, there’s that one fortuneteller’s tent!” said Tanya. “We should go there!”

“That sounds cool,” said Kendra. “Why don’t we all go in at once?”

“But then everyone will hear everybody’s else’s futures,” said Kish.

Kendra winked.

“Exactly,” she said. “Dare you.”

Kish shrugged.

“Well, it isn’t real anyway, so sure.”

Mairead nodded.

“Sounds fun,” she said.

“Too bad Taruto’s not here,” said Tanya. “I would have had fun dragging him in here.”

“You have a dark mind,” said Kish.

Tanya giggled.

The group slipped through the tent flap. Kish instantly felt closed off from the outside world. The inside of this tent felt like another world entirely, shut off from the bustle outside. 

“It’s dark,” Tanya squeaked.

At that moment a light flared at the end of the tent. Kish blinked. He had kind of been expecting the round table with the crystal ball on it and some creepy young woman sitting behind it. That wasn’t what was there.

An ancient looking Cyniclon woman sat behind a small square table. A stack of cards sat in front of her.

“Well are you going to stand there staring all day?” she grunted. “Or did you want your fortune told?”

“My apologies,” said Bryn.

He walked over to the table. Kish and the others followed. 

“How many?” the woman said.

Kish blinked. The woman’s eyes looked as though they had been slashed, so that she could no longer see. Kish cringed at the thought of how much pain she must have gone through. Then he wondered how she could read the cards without being able to see.

Bryn took a quick head count.

“Five,” he said.

The woman chuckled.

“Five,” she murmured. “I thought so.”

She began to shuffle the cards.

“Well who’s first?” she said.

“I am,” said Bryn, sending a wink back at the others. Kish rolled his eyes.

“Then sit down,” the woman said.

Bryn sat in the chair in front of the table. The woman finished shuffling the cards and set them in a stack.

“Well, put your hand on it, boy,” she said.

Bryn placed his hand on top of the deck.

“Good, good,” the woman murmured. “Now take the first card off and give it to me.”

Bryn handed her the card. She held onto it for a moment.

“Let me see,” she said. “You will need to be firm in your friendships during the next few months. Things will happen that may or may not drive a wedge between you and your relationships.”

Bryn glanced back at Kish and raised an eyebrow. Kish bit his tongue. The woman slid the card back into the deck and shuffled it again.

“Who’s next?” she grunted.

Kendra took Bryn’s place. She also put her hand on the deck and handed the woman the first card.

“Ah, now you,” she said. “Your future is in the shadows.”

What was that supposed to mean? Did that mean her future was unreadable or something else entirely?

“Protect your mind carefully,” the woman continued. “Some may seek to use you against others.”

Kendra nodded, then stood up and gave everybody a funny look that seemed to say, “She’s crazy, isn’t she?”

Tanya went next.

“Now your future is crystal,” the woman said. “You must stick to your friends and family no matter what happens.”

Bryn nudged him.

“You go next,” he hissed.

Kish sat down, more than a little unnerved.

“Well,” the woman said irritably. “Put your hand on the deck.”

Kish cautiously set his hand down on top of the deck. He just barely stopped the gasp before it was audible to the group behind him. The deck felt like it was holding uncontainable power. Energy flooded from him and into the top card. He swallowed and handed the woman the top card. He just barely saw the picture on top before she turned it to face her. It was a long white dragon…

“Ah, yes,” she said. “The windy card.”

She whispered that so quietly that Kish barely heard her.

“Be strong and flexible, like wind across the plains,” she said. “Changes are coming, and coming fast. Watch for the flash of purple lightning in the coming storm. And—”

This next part was so quiet that Kish had to lean forward slightly to hear her.

“Beware of Azulda, young Jun,” she hissed.

What?

He stood up and let Mairead take his place. What had that been about? He watched Mairead carefully, wondering if he had been the only one to feel the energy in the cards. He could swear he saw Mairead stiffen when her hand touched the deck.

Mairead handed the woman the card. The woman said nothing for a moment. Then she set the card down, face up. Kish peeked at it. The card showed a shadowed figure with glowing red eyes. He blinked. The woman was murmuring something to Mairead.

“The Shadowed Goddess,” the woman hissed. “This means something, oh yes, it means something dark is in your future.”

Kish heard Mairead swallow. He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“Hang on to him,” the woman said to Mairead, fierceness in her voice. “Hang on to him with all your might, or he’ll be gone.”

“Who?” Mairead asked.

Her voice wasn’t any louder than a whisper.

“You know who I’m talking about,” the woman hissed.

Kish tugged on Mairead’s arm.

“Let’s go,” he whispered.

Mairead stood up in a jerky motion and let Kish pull her outside. Kish felt like it was easier to breathe outside the tent.

“Well,” said Bryn. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“I don’t think anyone was,” said Kendra. “It’s okay Mairead, it’s not real anyway.”

Mairead seemed to be having trouble breathing. Kendra gave her a hug.

“It’s okay Mairead, nothing bad is going to happen.”

Mairead caught Kish’s eye over Kendra’s shoulder. In that instant, Kish knew that Mairead had also felt the power in the cards—not to mention made the connection between Azulda and The Shadowed Goddess.

Kendra let go of Mairead.

“Hey, who wants something to eat?” she asked. “I’m starved.”

“Me too,” said Kish. “Let’s go.”

The group wandered down the boardwalk.

“I’m going to go get ice cream,” said Tanya. “I’ll meet you guys by the fountain later.”

She ran off.

“Why don’t we all split up?” said Kendra. “Me and Bryn want to look at that new booth over there.”

Kendra and Bryn walked away, leaving Mairead and Kish alone.

“So you want to go get something to eat?” he asked.

“Yeah,” said Mairead.

They ordered something (don’t ask me what) and walked over to a bench.

“It’s been a while since it was just the two of us,” said Kish.

For some reason this made Mairead blush.

“Uh, yeah,” she said.

They sat in a slightly awkward silence. Kish looked up at the sky to avoid catching Mairead’s gaze. The sky was covered in dark gray clouds.

“Huh?”

“What is it Kish?” asked Mairead.

“Wasn’t it clear just five minutes ago?” Kish asked, pointing at the sky.

Mairead stared at the sky.

“I thought so,” she said. “Looks like a really bad storm.”

“Let’s go find shelter,” said Kish, standing up.

Mairead nodded and stood up as well. 

But before they had even taken a step, rain came pouring down in sheets, totally blocking out all vision. Kish couldn’t see anymore than three feet ahead of him. Even Mairead was nothing more than a gray shape next to him. Thunder rumbled loudly, making the ground shake beneath him. Lightning flashed across the sky, lightning the boardwalk for a brief second with purple light. Wait a minute, purple light?

_ “Watch for the purple lightning in the coming storm…” _

His fortune was coming true.

“Mairead!” he shouted over the rain and thunder. “I saw a tent about ten feet in front of us! Let’s move toward it!”

He was pretty sure Mairead nodded, but either way she followed him as he moved cautiously forward. Another purple flash illuminated the sky, showing the tent in front of him. He took another step toward it. Suddenly purple lightning struck the ground right in front of him. He felt the shock go through him, paralyzing him to the wet ground. He could hear people screaming and could smell burned wood. Static crackled in the air around him. The next strike hit him full on. He thought he was screaming, but he couldn’t hear over the buzzing of his ears. He fell back and hit his head hard on the ground. Another flash hit him in the chest and pain flooded through him.

Blackness ate away at his vision slowly. As he began to black out, he was aware of a warm white light bursting up around him.


	4. Whirlwind - The Result of Being Struck by Lightning

Kish woke up in his bed at home. He tried to sit up—big mistake. The room spun around him and his stomach lurched. Someone pushed him down firmly, cool hands on his forehead.

“Don’t even think about getting up,” his mother’s voice ordered. “You don’t just walk away after getting hit by lightning three times in a row.”

Kish obediently lay back down.

“Three times?” he choked out.

“Well technically twice, but the another one was really close and shocked you anyway.”

“And I’m still alive?”

“Obviously.”

Kish closed his eyes. What on earth had happened out there?

“The lightning,” he said.

“What about it?” his mother asked. 

“It was purple,” said Kish. “The old fortuneteller on the boardwalk told me to watch out for purple lightning.”

His mother was silent.

“The old fortuneteller?” she said slowly.

“Yeah,” Kish murmured.

“Tell me, did she have a long scar across her eyes that made her blind?”

“Yeah.”

There was another silence.

“Well,” Kelda said. “You rest for a little longer. I’m going to call Mairead; the phone’s been ringing off the hook all day because she wanted to check on you.”

The thought of Mairead being so worried made Kish feel a little bit better. He heard his mother’s footsteps leave the room and he sighed. Nothing left for him to do but sleep. Just as he was about to doze off, he remembered that he had been dreaming right after he fainted. What had it been about? 

It came to him instantly. It had been the dream again, the one with the crying girl and the figure in the cloak. But it had been different… hadn’t it? Kish tried to remember.

_ It was like watching a scene from a movie or a play. He saw a figure with long black hair and icy blue eyes. The girl in pink was stumbling towards the figure, a look on her face like she was confused and dazed. She clutched a ribbon with a little bell on it, tinkling with each step. _

“What is her problem?” _ said a voice next to Kish.  _ “They’re fools. Huge fools.”

_ Kish turned to look next to him. It was Taruto! But what the heck was he wearing? He was wearing some weird tiny red shirt and black shorts. Kish turned back to stare at the girl. She was in front of the figure. She held up the bell, mouth moving. Kish strained to hear the words. _

“…My number one treasure…Aoyama-kun…please remember…”

_ There was a pause. Then the figure raised a hand and smacked the bell from the girl’s hand. She stared at him with shock and hurt, then sank to her knees… _

Kish opened his eyes.

“Kish? Are you awake?”

He turned his head and tried to focus. Mairead was sitting next to the bed.

“Mairead?”

“You are awake,” she said. “Are you okay?”

“I’m better now,” he said, sitting up. “How long have you been here?”

“About five minutes,” she said. “You were mumbling in your sleep.”

“I was?”

Mairead nodded.

“What exactly did I say?” he asked.

“That’s the thing, I couldn’t hear,” said Mairead. “I was going to ask you what you were dreaming about.”

Kish rubbed the back of his head.

“It was the girl again,” he said. “And the figure in the cloak, but this one was different.”

“You mean the girl with cat ears?” asked Mairead. “The one you told me about?”

Kish nodded.

“She was talking to the figure, and she looked almost like she had just lost something,” he said. “But the figure didn’t seem to care about her at all and it shocked her.”

Mairead looked up at the ceiling, as though thinking.

“Maybe she’s a neko, like Meav-sensei?” she said. “Maybe Meav-sensei even knows who she is.”

“Maybe, but I think I’d feel weird asking her about something like that,” said Kish.

“You and me both,” said Mairead. “She’s kind of intimidating.”

Kish nodded. Kelda poked her head into the room.

“Oh, you’re awake,” she said. “You feel good enough to come and eat something?”

Kish’s stomach growled loudly. Mairead bit back a giggle and Kish grinned.

“I think so,” he said.

“Well then come on,” Kelda said. “Mairead, you’re welcome to stay for dinner.”

“Oh, thanks,” said Mairead.

Kish slid out of bed and the pair followed Kelda downstairs.

* * *

Bryn strode over to Kish.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked. “I didn’t expect you to come to school today.”

“I’m fine,” said Kish. “I guess it was just a fluke.”

“And they say lightning never strikes in the same place twice,” said Kendra. “It hit  _ you _ three times!”

“Really, I feel fine,” said Kish.

“Are you sure?” said Bryn. “Absolutely positively sure?”

“Yes,” said Kish, grinning. “Anyways, we have six minutes and counting to get to our classrooms so we’d better hurry.”

“Right you are,” said Kendra. “What do you have right now?”

“Dimensional studies,” said Kish.

“You’re going to love the teacher,” said Kendra. “She’s amazing!”

The bell rang loudly, signaling that they five minutes to get into their classrooms.

“Let’s go Mairead!” said Kish.

“Right!” said Mairead.

They dashed down the hall and into the classroom. Only minutes after they had sat down, the teacher walked in. A few whispers ran across the classroom when she stepped in. Kish blinked. She had short raven black hair and dark green eyes. Huge butterfly wings poked out behind her, decorated with deep jewel-like colors and framed with black, giving them the look of a stained glass window. She smiled brightly at the class.

“Good morning,” she said. “I am Sensei Erinda.”

She took a quick roll call. Fortunately, nothing strange happened when she called Kish’s name. He let out a breath.

“Now, I hope by now that most of you are already aware of the existence of other dimensions,” she said. “Has anyone heard of Earth?”

Mairead raised her hand. Erinda nodded at her.

“Go on,” she said.

“Earth is a planet populated by humans,” said Mairead. “They aren’t aware of other dimensions, magic or any other races.”

“Very good,” said Erinda. “Humans are a primitive species compared to many on Synoch. However, in other ways they are more advanced. For example—”

A piercing screech filled the air. Kish clapped his hands over his ears.

“What is that?” someone shouted.

Erinda suddenly became totally serious.

“Students form a single file line and move toward the back of the school!” she shouted. “Get away from the windows! Quickly now! Don’t stop!”

Kish and Mairead darted into the line and they moved into the hall. The siren was still screaming and Kish winced. Someone darted from the crowd and toward the door. It was Orla.

“Fallon-san, get back here!” Erinda shouted.

Orla didn’t seem to hear. The glass door shattered into pieces as a bolt of lightning hit it. Orla darted out into the street.

“Is it a storm?” Kish shouted over the siren.

“I don’t know!” said Mairead.

Suddenly the ceiling crumbled in front of the class, blocking their way to the back of the school. Kish squinted up through the hole in the ceiling and saw a perfectly clear sky.

“Students get back!” Erinda shouted. “Stay back, the ceiling is unstable! Follow me and stay close!”

The students huddled behind Erinda as she strode to the shattered door.

“Stay close to me; we’re going toward the Hold!” Erinda shouted.

“The Hold?” said Kish.

“But that hasn’t been used in years!” Mairead whispered to Kish.

Kish looked over the mass of students and tried to see what was going on. Outside the school building was a giant squid like creature with vines for arms. Several Cyniclons and elves were fighting to contain the creature. People were screaming and running away from the thing. Kish bumped into someone in the crowd. He looked up and saw Bryn. Kendra, Rikuto and Kokoro were right behind him.

“When did you get here?” Kish asked.

“Just now,” said Bryn.

“What is that thing?” asked Mairead.

“A kirema anima,” said Kendra, pushing out of the crowd. “I thought they were extinct.”

“What does Orla think she’s doing?” Kokoro said suddenly.

Kish turned. Orla was running towards the kirema anima. It let out a screech and a vine came down towards her. She flipped into the air and started flying above the creature, sending what looked like silver fire down at the creature.

“How’s she doing that?” said Rikuto.

A vine hit one of the Cyniclons fighting and he fell from the air. Orla landed in front of him and shot more silver fire.

“Orla get out of here!” said the Cyniclon. It was Pai.

“Not a chance,” said Orla.

Pai got to his feet and shot lightning from a red fan he was holding.

“Orla get with the other students and into the Hold with the others!” he shouted.

Kish didn’t pay much attention to what happened next. In almost slow motion, he saw a young girl running after her mother, then tripping and falling within reach of the creature. The girl burst out in tears, clutching her ankle and the mother screamed as a vine came down fast toward her daughter. Kish wasn’t sure what happened next.

He felt his body vibrating at an intense speed. He felt himself dart forward, easily dodging the vine tentacles. He scooped up the girl and skidded out of reach of the kirema anima.

“Great Blue, Kish!”

Mairead rushed over to him. The others were right behind her.

“You did not just do that!” said Kokoro in disbelief.

“I think I did,” said Kish. 

The little girl was trembling in his arms. He stood up. The mother ran over to him and took the girl from his arms.

“Thank you,” she said, breathing hard. She squeezed the little girl tight and the girl buried her face in her mother’s chest.

“You’re welcome,” said Kish, still a little dazed.

“How did you do that?” said Rikuto. “I’ve never seen anything like it!”

“I don’t know,” said Kish. “I don’t know what came over me.”

He swallowed. He still felt like his was vibrating, but maybe he was just trembling.

“It was amazing,” said Kendra. “You were moving so fast, I could barely see you!”

“Never mind that, we have to get out of here!” said Kokoro. “It sounds like we just had another break-in.”

“Sounds like?” said Rikuto.

“Geez, Rikuto,” said Kokoro. “You’ve been dating me for two years and you still don’t realize that elven hearing is better than Cyniclon.”

“Forget about it,” said Kish. “You’re right, we need to catch up with the others.”

They ran across the now empty square (well, empty except for the kirema anima and the people fighting it) and into the street. It was eerily quiet. Kish almost stopped from the sheer terror that came with the silence. He shook his head and kept moving.

There was a flash of something purple darting across an alley. Kish really did stop this time. What was that?

The thing darted across the alley again. Was it a kirema anima? The others didn’t seem to notice that he had stopped. Kish didn’t notice them keep running, farther and farther. He noticed when they were completely out of sight. 

Kish whirled around towards where they had gone. Then he realized that he was completely turned around. He couldn’t figure out which way to go. Both sides of the street looked the same. Taking a wild guess, he charged off in one direction. In minutes he came to another crossroad. 

Which way was the Hold? Kish tried to see above the tall buildings, but it was no use. The Hold entrance was a small inconspicuous building to throw off suspicion; built during the period of war and siege. Kish made another random guess and took off down that street. 

The entire city was ominously quiet. Was everyone down in the Hold already? Kish stopped, completely lost.

“Well now what?” he said out loud.

His voice seemed to trigger events into action. Something huge and black dove from an alley. Kish ducked and it soared over him, landing behind him. The thing was like a giant panther, nearly as tall as Kish was. Its eyes glowed bright yellow and it snarled at Kish with the biggest fangs Kish had ever seen.

Kish ducked under a swipe from a massive paw. Suddenly the sun reflected off of a giant red jewel on the panther’s chest and right into Kish’s eyes. He stumbled back, temporarily blinded. He tripped over something and fell hard on his backside.

The panther snarled and stalked closer. Purple lightning coursed over Kish’s head and hit the panther hard in the face. It hissed in anger and slunk back a few steps. Something small and purple landed in front of Kish. Kish stared at it.

It was a rabbit. The rabbit was about the size of a cat, with rich purple fur and huge purple eyes. Dark purple tipped its ears and striped its long tufted tail. Purple lightning sparked around a strange golden U-shaped object attached to its forehead. Another burst of lightning shot from the object and hit the panther, forcing it further back.

“I won’t be able to hold it back forever!” the rabbit shouted.

“You can talk?” said Kish.

“No time for stupid questions!”

The panther stalked forward again, saliva dripping from its bared teeth.

“Transforming would be a good idea right about now!” said the rabbit.

“What do you mean transforming?”

“Didn’t I say there was no time for stupid questions?”

A beam of red light shot from the red jewel on the panther’s chest and Kish ducked. The beam hit a building behind him and burnt a hole right through the wall.

“Say Kyalda Pendant!” said the rabbit.

“What?”

“JUST DO IT!”

Kish took a deep breath.

“Kyalda Pendant!”

There was a bright flash of white light and Kish threw up his hands. The light condensed like water into a small white oval shape. Kish reached forward and grabbed it. The light winked out instantly and Kish was clutching something small and hard. He opened his hand. It was a small white pendant emblazoned with a golden whirlwind.

“What is this?” he murmured.

“Stop staring at it and TRANSFORM already!!!”

“Um…”

Suddenly he knew what to do. He held up the pendant.

“Kyalda Wind! METAMORPHOSIS!”

There was a bright flash of white light. Kish felt funny. He looked down at himself.

“No way….” he said.

He was wearing some weird white shirt with a thick golden belt and leggings. But that wasn’t the weird part. He had a  _ tail _ . It was thick and lizard-like but covered in white feathers and tipped by what looked like long white fur. He glanced behind him to see a pair of huge feathered white wings.

“This is too weird,” he said.

“There is no time for being shocked!!!” said the rabbit. “You have to fight!”

“First you make get wings, and then you expect me to fight with nothing more than a weird costume??” said Kish.

“Just do what feels right!” said the rabbit.

The panther leapt toward Kish. Kish leapt into the air and soared above the panther. This was nothing like flying by himself. His wings felt so powerful, pushing him to speeds he never knew he could reach. With only a slight tip of one wing he could change direction so easily. He felt more agile than he ever had while flying without wings.

Something tugged at the back of his mind. Were those words forming in his head? Kish landed behind the panther. It turned to face him, yellow eyes glinting. Kish held out his hands.

“Wind Sais!” he shouted.

Two sais appeared in his hands, a white feather hanging from each and emblazoned with the same golden whirlwind. The panther leapt for him and Kish thrust the weapons in front of him. A gold shield burst up in front of him and the panther rammed into it hard. It shrunk back, pacing back and forth and glaring at Kish. The shield faded.

Kish held up the sais, more words forming in his mind.

“Ribbon…”

White and gold energy sparked around the tips of the sais.

“Wind Storm!”

The sparks of gold and white swirled into a huge whirlwind, bursting from his weapons and towards the panther. It screeched and vanished. A jellyfish thing floated away into the air, leaving behind a small black cat to vanish into an alley. 

Kish felt dizzy. He leaned against a wall before he fell over. He glowed and changed back to normal, the white pendant clutched in his hand.

“That was great!” said the rabbit. “I haven’t seen that much out of a Kyaldian since Kyalda Night.”

“What in the name of Blue just happened?” said Kish. “Why did I grow wings and why do I have to fight kirema anima?”

The rabbit blinked.

“I don’t think I’m the one that should be explaining that,” he said.

“Well then who should?” asked Kish.

“That would be me.”

Kish froze. Was that who he though it was? He turned around slowly. Leoti was leaning against a wall, eyes closed.

“It’s you!” said Kish.

“Yes, it’s me,” said Leoti. “Well, that kirema anima left quite a mess, didn’t it?”

Kish glanced around the street. The buildings were nearly in ruins and the street was torn up as though a tornado had come through—oh wait, a tornado  _ had _ come through.

“How am I going to explain this?” Kish asked numbly.

“You won’t have to,” said another familiar voice.

A yellow tabby trotted from the ally and changed into Meav. She flicked her tail and the entire place fixed itself.

“What—who—how—what’s going on?” asked Kish.

“Follow us,” said Leoti. “We’ll explain.”

“More like you will,” said Meav. “I’m  _ done _ explaining things.”

Kish’s head spun. What on Synoch was going on?


	5. Fire and Wind - The Loss of Someone Dear

Kish stared around the strange house. Leoti, it seemed, lived in a tree house. The whole place was one big puzzle. Sunlight streamed in through the huge windows, illuminating piles of paper and books. A bookshelf against one wall held books, plus a bunch of strange objects: long elegantly carved sticks, shiny medallions, gems, what looked like green and blue scales, photographs of people and places, even small paintings that appeared to be moving by themselves.

The books themselves were strange. From where Kish was sitting, he could make out  _ The Sword of Shannara, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, A Tolkien Bestiary  _ and  _ A Practical Guide to Dragons.  _ The walls that weren’t windows had paintings of strange places and scrolls with weird characters. The paintings showed valleys filled with unicorns, a metallic city with towering skyscrapers, a courtyard filled with people sitting around a table with a small golden ring, and so on and so forth. 

Suddenly Kish’s eyes landed on a book sitting on the small table in front of him. He couldn’t really see it because Anzu—the purple rabbit—was sitting on it and cleaning himself off, but he could see enough. The cover was pink and read  _ Tokyo Mew Mew.  _ He could just see the head of a girl with bright pink hair and black cat ears…

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” said Leoti, appearing from the door at the back of the room.

Kish tore his eyes away from the book and looked up at Leoti. She still seemed like she was younger than him, yet years older than him at the same time.

“Okay, I think I deserve some kind of explanation,” he said.

“And you’re going to get it,” said Meav, sitting cross-legged in a patch of sun.

Leoti sat down on a chair facing Kish and Anzu leapt into her lap, knocking down the book where Kish couldn’t see it. Leoti starting stroking Anzu, almost absentmindedly. Anzu let out a soft humming purr.

“So,” said Leoti. “I assume you’ve heard of the Kyaldians?”

Kish nodded. The Kyaldians had pushed back the kirema anima years ago, resulting in that there hadn’t been an attack since. That is, until today.

“The original team consisted of five members,” Leoti continued. “Kyalda Night, Kyalda Thunder, Kyalda Light, Kyalda Twister and Kyalda Amberfire.

“After they defeated the last of the kirema anima, they vanished from public view and went on to live normal lives, though thy still retained their powers.”

Kish wondered where this conversation was heading.

“Unfortunately,” said Leoti. “Kyalda Night died in a fire and Kyalda Twister died in the forest at about the same time, about three years ago.”

Cold crept up Kish’s back. His father had died in the forest about three years ago.

“Kyalda Thunder lost his powers due to shock after Kyalda Night’s death,” said Leoti.

“So there’s only two Kyaldians left,” said Kish.

“Correct,” said Leoti. “One of them, Kyalda Light, is your mother, Kelda.”

Kish stared at Leoti. His mom, a Kyaldian? No possible way!

“Why didn’t she ever tell me?” Kish said.

“She probably didn’t think it was important,” said Leoti. “Out of all of them, Kelda was the one who thought that being a Kyaldian was no big deal.”

Kish swallowed.

“Then Kyalda Twister,” said Kish. “He was my dad, wasn’t he.”

It wasn’t a question. Kish already knew the answer.

“Yes,” said Leoti.

Kish forced away his tears and swallowed the lump in his throat.

“Then who’s Kyalda Amberfire?” he asked.

“She would prefer her identity be kept a secret for now,” said Leoti. “I will not be the one to reveal her.”

There was an awkward pause.

“Okay, so does Kyalda Thunder want his identity a secret too?” asked Kish.

“Thunder no longer considers himself a Kyaldian, so I see no problem with telling you,” said Leoti. “I believe you know him. His name is Pai Fallon.”

“Pai is a Kyaldian?” said Kish in disbelief.

“Was,” corrected Leoti. “And he was married to Kyalda Night, a mortal Moon Wraith named Hailie.”

Kish let out a breath, trying to let all the information sink in.

“So, if both my parents were Kyaldians,” he said slowly. “And I transformed today… does that mean I’m a Kyaldian?”

Leoti nodded.

“Kyaldians gain their powers from Kyalda, a strange crystalline force that appears to run through their veins much like blood,” said Leoti. “Also they draw power from certain magical creatures; in your case, the Feathered Dragon.

“I noticed that you inherited your father’s air powers, not to mention his symbol. Fen always had the golden whirlwind on white.”

Kish forced away tears again and took a deep breath. Suddenly he realized his pendant was gone. He didn’t remember carrying it with him to the tree house…

“Where did my pendant go?” he asked.

Leoti pointed at his chest. He looked down.

He was wearing a golden disc on a thin gold chain. A hole had been punched in the center, where a small white light hovered.

“That is your Eversphere,” said Leoti. “Without it, you can’t transform.”

“But I didn’t have this before and I transformed,” said Kish.

“That was your first time, and you relied completely on your own strength,” said Leoti. “That drained a lot of you, and that’s what made you so dizzy after you returned to normal.”

“So I use the Eversphere to transform without using my own strength?”

“You still use your own strength, however, the Eversphere focuses the energy and prevents you from draining yourself.”

Kish blinked, still slightly confused.

“The Eversphere also gets warm when danger is near,” said Leoti. “It will turn cold when you get close to another Kyaldian. As far as we know, there are four others.”

“Okay,” said Kish. “Anything else I should know about it?”

“It will help you communicate with your teammates when you find them,” said Leoti. “Also, you can’t let anyone else get a hold of it. We’re not exactly sure what would happen, but it would be disastrous.”

“Joy.”

Kish sighed and leaned back.

“So where does that leave me?” he asked. “Basically I have to find my teammates and fight kirema anima until they decide to leave us alone again?”

“The kirema anima were not the reason the Kyaldians were formed,” said Leoti. “Deep Blue was the reason the Kyaldians were formed.”

Anzu froze and his hair stood on end. Meav glared at Leoti.

“I told you,” she hissed. “He knows when you say his name!”

“And he won’t do anything while I’m around,” said Leoti. “He knows his servants are too weak to fight all of us at once and he can’t come himself.”

Kish could see the sparks flying from Meav’s eyes. Anzu straightened and leapt from Leoti’s lap. He leapt back on the table and looked up at Kish.

“As they’re busy,” he said. “I’ll explain.”

Anzu cleared his throat and began.

“So, the Enemy,” he said. “Well, he was first known as an old god three million years ago during the Old Earth Period.”

_ Just like Azulda,  _ thought Kish.

“Well, while he was around, things were pretty tough,” said Anzu. “There was a whole war going around with him taking over Earth piece by piece.

“Well, he nearly succeeded when Prince Jun of Old Verity rose up against him and defeated him. He was thought to be dead after that. But then, three million years later, he reappeared on Synoch and tried to take over again.

“Of course, it was very subtle. He sent others to do his dirty work and used kirema anima to make the races of Synoch think that some natural cause was to blame. Luckily, Erinda—I believe she’s a teacher of yours—found out and formed the first Kyaldian team. Luckily they defeated him once again, this time for good—or so we thought.”

“He came back a second time?” said Kish. “But how?”

“We’re not sure,” said Anzu. “He’s definitely not a Cyniclon, nor any other race we know about. We had a lucky break this time, however. The Enemy doesn’t have a true form; he can only appear  _ between _ as a presence and a voice. He has a form somewhere, but that form has no idea of who he really is.”

“I feel bad for that person, wherever he is,” said Kish.

“Yes,” said Anzu. “But either way, we have to defeat him and defeat him fast.”

Suddenly something flashed underneath a pile of papers. Leoti frowned and pushed the papers aside. A small crystal globe on a stand was flashing yellow. Leoti tapped it lightly and it stopped flashing.

“Is something wrong, Pai?” she said.

To Kish’s surprise, Pai’s voice came from the globe.

_ “Leoti, it’s Kelda! The house caught on fire and she’s stuck inside!” _

Leoti leapt to her feet.

“I’m coming!” she said. “Kish, you better come too!”

Kish leapt to his feet and teleported, not worrying about whether or not Leoti had a way of getting there fast. He appeared in front of his house, lit by the flames.

“MOM!”

Pai appeared from nowhere and grabbed his arm.

“You can’t go in there!”

“I have to help her!” Kish shouted.

“Kish, listen to me!” Pai shouted over the crackle of fire.

Kish stopped struggling.

“This isn’t an ordinary fire!” Pai said. “Your element is air. If you go in there the fire will feed off of your power and grow stronger!”

“But my mom—”

Something invisible wrapped around his arm and tugged him forward, out of Pai’s grasp. Before either of them could do anything, the invisible force pulled Kish through a window and threw him the floor. Smoke curled around him, making him cough.

A shadow appeared in a flaming doorway. The fire around him turned black and swirled toward him like a hungry creature. The shadowed figure darted over to him and pulled him out of the way. Kish looked up, but he couldn’t see the figure through the smoke.

“Mom?” he said. 

He coughed again, inhaling more smoke. A bit of air flowed around him, clearing the smoke from around him. Kish blinked. The figure that had saved him was gone.

“Kish? What are you doing in here?”

Kish whirled to see his mom.

“Something pulled me in—”

“Never mind, not now,” said Kelda. She grabbed his wrist. “We have to get out here.”

She pulled him around the now regular flames. Kish could see the flaming doorway that led outside. They were almost there!

Suddenly the flames turned black again and charged for Kish, this time much faster.

“NO!”

Kelda knocked Kish to the ground and the flames swirled around her, hiding her from view.

“MOM!” Kish shouted.

Suddenly, the entire fire went out, leaving the house untouched and looking normal as ever. However, there was one difference.

His mother was gone.


	6. Help From Above - Heroes Come in All Shapes

Kish was completely numb the next couple days of school. He hadn’t told anyone about his mother yet. For the last couple of days he had been living at his house alone, but sooner or later he’d be found out and made to move in with someone else. He walked silently down the hall for lunch.

Mairead gave him a look the moment he sat down.

“Okay Kish, I left you alone for the last couple of days,” she said. “But I need to know what happened to you or you’re going to waste away into nothing.”

Kish looked up at her. Was he ready to talk about it? She grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

“I told you about being abused by my foster parents when you pushed me,” she said. “Whatever it is, it can’t be too much worse than that.”

Kish decided right then that he needed to tell someone.

“Mairead…”

He glanced around the room. Mairead rolled her eyes and jerked him to his feet.

“Let’s go outside,” she said. “You can tell me in our secret place.”

Kish let Mairead pull him outside and into the school garden. She led him into the hedge maze and around countless corners. Finally they reached a dead end with a small hole in the corner. The pair crawled through and into a small patch surrounded by hedges. 

A crystalline pool and waterfall played watery music in the corner. Neither Kish nor Mairead knew why this place had been made without a path leading to it, or where the water came from, but it had forever been their secret place that no one else knew about.

Mairead sat herself down on a flat polished rock and looked up expectantly at Kish. Kish sat on the other rock and took a deep breath. Before he knew it, the events of the last few days all poured out—his transformation included. Mairead didn’t interrupt. Finally Kish finished. Mairead didn’t say anything for a minute.

“So you’re a Kyaldian?” she said.

“Yeah,” said Kish. “You do believe me, right?”

“That’s what I asked you when I told you about my foster parents,” said Mairead. “Yes I do believe you. We’re best friends right?”

She leaned back onto her hands.

“Besides, who would pretend their mother had vanished?”

Kish blinked. He had described his mother vanishing into the fire, but he hadn’t exactly used that word. He had actually been more along the lines of ‘died.’

“Yes, I did say vanished,” said Mairead. “Because I don’t believe she’s really gone.”

“You don’t?” said Kish.

“Nope,” said Mairead. “I never really bought the story of your dad dying either. I think they’re still out there somewhere.”

Kish wasn’t so sure, but Mairead’s words were calming.

“But, about me being a Kyaldian,” he said. “Well…if this Deep Blue person knows that I exist, he—well I’m worried that you might be in trouble.”

“Me?” said Mairead, surprise in her voice. “Why are you worried about me being in trouble? Shouldn’t you worry more about yourself?”

“Well, we are best friends,” said Kish. “What if he tried to attack you?”

Mairead turned slightly red.

“Well, I—I guess we can worry about that if it comes up,” she mumbled. She continued in a slightly stronger voice. “On a more important note, are you even supposed to be telling me about this? I mean if you didn’t know your parents were Kyaldians, why should I know?”

“I know I can trust you, Mairead,” Kish said. “We have been best friends for what, nine years?”

“Ten.”

“I rest my case,” said Kish. “You will keep it a secret, right?”

Mairead smiled.

“Of course,” she said.

* * *

“Hello? Synoch to Kish.”

Kish blinked and looked up at Taruto.

“What?”

“I have been talking to you for the last five minutes and I don’t think you heard a word of it,” said Taruto.

“Oh, sorry,” said Kish.

“What are you thinking about?” Taruto asked. “You’ve been pretty quiet all week.”

“It’s nothing,” said Kish. 

He wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to tell the story about transforming and his mother dying—vanishing—again.

“Okay,” said Taruto. “If you’re sure.”

“So what were you saying?’ asked Kish.

“I was asking if you wanted to meet Illishar,” said Taruto. “I think I mentioned him once to you.”

Kish thought a minute. Taruto had mentioned Illishar—but more than just once. Kish wasn’t exactly sure who—or what—Illishar was.

“Well…”

“Great, come on!”

Taruto started walking in the opposite direction.

“Taruto, wait!”

Kish ran after him. Taruto weaved around the people in the street and they emerged into an empty alleyway. Taruto kept walking toward the dead end.

“Um, Taruto, where is this headed?”

Taruto stopped right in front of the wall, then turned back to face Kish.

“Listen, as of now, only me and Tanya know about this,” he said. “Please keep it a secret.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” said Kish.

After all, he was already keeping one secret. One really, really big secret.

Taruto turned back to the wall. He took a step toward it—and walked right through the wall. 

“Taruto?” said Kish, staring at the wall.

Taruto stuck his head back through the wall.

“Come on. It’s just an illusion.”

He vanished again. Kish glanced back to the end of the alley to make sure no one was watching, then slipped through the wall.

“Whoa.”

He was at the edge of a huge grassland, rolling with grass-covered hills. Flowers bobbed in the gentle breeze and the sharp scent of pine filled Kish’s nostrils. He glanced back at where he had come and saw a thick gnarled old tree. 

“What is this place?” asked Kish.

“I have no idea,” said Taruto. “But it’s amazing isn’t it?”

“Very,” said Kish.

At first glance the place had seemed normal. However, now that Kish looked more closely, things didn’t seem quite as normal. The sky was a shade of purple-blue that Kish had never seen before and speckled with odd shaped clouds. The grass was a pale watery green, like a lake spreading out toward the horizon. He turned around to take a closer look at the trees. They looked like giant bonsai trees, cut into strange shapes. The smell wasn’t entirely pine like either. It was like a mixture of pine, baking cookies and lavender.

Kish turned back to face the plain. Taruto was already out in it, staring up at the sky.

“So who exactly is Illishar?” asked Kish.

“Well I was trying to see if he was out here this morning,” said Taruto, still staring at the sky. “He’s usually out about now.”

Kish glanced up at the sky apprehensively. Taruto had this really weird thing about potentially dangerous creatures. Well, they weren’t always potentially dangerous, but most of them were. Like the poisonous wyrm he had been raising in the garden and Dragon Pegasii. Not to mention the time Taruto had gotten in trouble for trying to hatch a basilisk. The only things the Kish could think of that flew were dragons, wyverns and pegasii. 

“It doesn’t look like he’s out,” said Kish.

“Hm,” said Taruto.

He pulled a small silver whistle from his pocket and blew it. Nothing happened for a long time. Suddenly something broke from the trees behind them and swooped over their heads. Kish ducked as wind rushed over him. The thing made a circle above them, then landed gently in front of them.

It was a hippogriff. Sunlight reflected off its metallic green feathers and golden coat. Its flaxen tail twitched and it cocked its head, fixing Kish with a huge orange eye. To Kish’s surprise, it was only the size of a pony. He had thought hippogriffs were bigger. The hippogriff broke its gaze from Kish and trotted over to Taruto, giving and affectionate caw. It nudged Taruto with its beak. Taruto laughed and scratched it on the beak.

“Isn’t he amazing?” said Taruto.

“That’s one word for it,” said Kish. “So this is Illishar.”

“Yeah,” said Taruto. “He’s a Treegriff.”

“Is there a difference between Treegriffs and Hippogriffs?”

Taruto nodded.

“Treegriffs are smaller, with green feathers and a palomino coat,” said Taruto. “They’re also better at using magic.”

Kish watched Illishar a bit apprehensively. Illishar watched Kish back with a fierce stare. Kish didn’t drop his gaze, even though he really wanted to. Suddenly Illishar’s eyes crinkled as though smiling and he dipped his head to Kish. He let out a soft caw.

“Illishar says he likes you,” said Taruto.

“You can understand him?” said Kish in surprise.

“Yeah,” said Taruto, as though this was the most normal thing in the world.

Kish had to smile when Illishar nudged Taruto again and made him fall over. They seemed like really good friends. 

“Hi Kish!”

Kish jumped and turned around. Tanya had come through the tree.

“I thought someone had come through,” she said. “Hi Illishar!”

Tanya wrapped her arms around Illishar’s neck. Illishar’s eyes crinkled again and he rose up slightly, making Tanya hang in the air. She laughed and let go, falling back down. Kish laughed too. Illishar was a very intelligent creature.

Suddenly, Kish felt like he was being watched. He turned toward the trees, trying the peer through the darkness beneath the leaves. Was it just his imagination, or was someone standing underneath the tree? He blinked and the shadow was gone. However, the feeling wasn’t. Dread crept through him. His Eversphere grew warm against his chest.

“Your Eversphere will turn warm when danger is near…”

It felt like ice was flowing through his veins. The purple sky above them was turning black with clouds.

“Taruto…” said Kish. “Is that normal?”

Taruto stared up at the sky.

“From what Illishar’s told me, this place hardly ever gets thunderstorms,” he said.

Illishar screeched, as though in warning. A lightning bolt hit the ground between the group. Illishar screeched again and leapt into the sky. A fire was starting where the lightning had struck. Kish stared with wide eyes. The fire was black.

“RUN!” he shouted.

Taruto and Tanya seemed to be thinking along the same lines. The trio made a break for the tree. Lightning struck the ground right in front of them, starting another black fire and blocking their exit. Kish skidded to a stop, panting.

“Can we teleport out of here?” Kish shouted.

Taruto shook his head.

“Teleportation doesn’t work here for some reason,” he shouted.

“Think we can fly over the flames?” Tanya shouted.

“Maybe,” said Kish.

They leapt into the air at the same time. But the second they did, the flames rose higher, making it impossible to get over or around. The trio landed back on the ground.

“Now what?” said Taruto, eying the advancing flames.

Kish took a deep breath. If he transformed, maybe he could blow the flames away. He touched his Eversphere.

“Kyalda Pendant!”

The small white light broke from the golden ring and transformed into his pendant. He grabbed it.

“Kyalda Wind! METAMORPHOSIS!”

In a flash of light, Kish transformed. His wings beat powerfully, pushing him into the air. The flames rose with him, dancing higher and higher.

“Wind Sais! Ribbon…Wind Storm!”

The wind burst from his weapon, smashing into the flames and pushing them aside.

“Yes!”

The flames met again and seemed to grow bigger.

“What?”

Wait a minute, air fed fire! He was making it bigger! He landed again.

“Kish, what just happened to you—”

“We don’t have time for that,” said Kish. “We have to find a way out of here.”

“But you have wings and a tail!”

“It’s not important right now!”

The black fire swirled into a tornado and surged toward Kish. It smashed into him and he was dragged into the vortex. The scream behind him told him that Tanya and probably Taruto had been drug in too.

No I won’t let them get hurt!

The fire was fading… He thought he saw a field of red flowers under a black sky…

There was a flash of green and pale blue light behind him. The fire closed in around him again, blocking the red flowers from view. Then the flames faded again, dropping him into the grassland once again. 

The flames in front of him were writhing like something alive.

“Whoa,” said Taruto’s voice behind him.

“This is so COOL!” said Tanya.

Kish turned around. Taruto and Tanya had transformed. Taruto had the same kind of long sleeved shirt that Kish had, only green with a brown belt. He had big green wings and a flaxen horse tail like Illishar. His pendant had a green leaf on a brown background. Tanya had a short pale blue dress with a pleated skirt. A thick dark blue ribbon tied around her waist with a big bow in the back. A thin crystalline tail flicked behind her. Her symbol was of a prism-like crystal on a pale blue background.

“You guys are Kyaldians!” said Kish.

“This is too weird,” said Taruto.

The fiery cyclone in front of them continued to writhe. Suddenly it collapsed upon itself and then grew into a shape. Kish squinted at it. What was it? Some sort of animal thing made of black fire?

“Eep!” said Tanya.

“That thing is freaky!” said Taruto.

“Wind Sais!” Kish shouted. “Ribbon Wind Storm!”

The whirlwind pushed the creature back. It immediately came forward again, even bigger than before.

“Dang.”

Kish wasn’t going to be much help in this battle.

“Any ideas?” Taruto said.

“Just say the first thing that comes into your head!” said Kish.

“I thought I already said I was freaking out!”

“You’ll know what you’re supposed to say if you just think!”

There was a dangerous pause while the creature drew closer, flames jumping in every direction.

“Crystal Scepter!”

“Vine Daggers!”

Tanya was now holding a thin gold scepter topped with a long crystal. Taruto was holding a pair of leaf shaped daggers with a silver bell hanging from each.

“Okay, that was interesting,” said Taruto.

“Interesting? That was amazing!” said Tanya.

“MOVE!” shouted Kish.

The creature had opened up what could only be a mouth and let loose a surge of black fire. The trio darted out of the way. The creature advanced on Taruto, growling with a sound like crackling fire. Kish leapt to his feet.

“Taruto MOVE!”

The creature lifted what looked like a giant paw…

A high-pitched screech cut through the air. Illishar streaked down from the sky and scratched at the front of the creature. It took a step back, seemingly fixing its attention on Illishar. It raised its paw-like limb and swiped at Illishar’s tiny form, as though he was nothing more than a fly. Illishar screeched again and continued to swoop down at what appeared to be the creature’s eyes.

“Let’s get this thing!” Kish shouted.

“Copy!” shouted Tanya. “Black Fire Flash!”

Black fire shot from her crystal and hit the creature, making it stumble back. Taruto go to his feet and plunged his daggers into the ground.

“Ribbon Vine Strike!”

Vines burst from the ground and wrapped around the creature. They burned away immediately.

“Plant and air isn’t going to work!” said Kish.

“I have an idea!” said Tanya.

Taruto and Kish turned to her.

“You do?” said Taruto.

Tanya grinned and explained quickly.

“Well, for lack of other ideas, we’ll try it,” said Kish. “Let’s go!”

They split up.

“Ribbon Vine Strike!”

The vines burst from the ground and spun in a circle, digging a shallow hole. The hole filled with water almost instantly.

“Black Fire Flash!” Tanya shouted.

The creature stumbled back toward the water.

“Ribbon Windstorm!” Kish shouted.

The wind blew the water from the hole and dropped it onto the Black Fire Creature. The thing screeched and vanished.

“Yes!” Tanya said. “I told you I had a good idea!”

“Good one, Tanya!” said Kish.

“Kish,” said Taruto. “I don’t like to be a party pooper, but what is going on?”

Kish grinned.

“It’s a long story.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

The sun set, glinting off of Illishar’s green feathers as he soared above them.


	7. Changing with the Phases - the Strange Girl’s Secret

I’m dreaming again.

_ But he wasn’t floating through the darkness. He was running through a dark forest, not knowing or caring where he went. Suddenly he burst out into a clearing and stopped, panting. Someone was standing in the center of the clearing, bathing in the moonlight. Who was it? _

_ Another figure appeared in the moonlight before the first figure. The new person seemed to glow without the moon’s help. She laid a gentle hand on the first figure’s shoulder. The first figure started to swell and grow within the cocoon of moonlight. Finally she changed completely into something else—a willow tree.  _

_ The tree waved its silver leaves gently in the nonexistent breeze. The second figure let her hand drop to her side, still glowing though she was in the shadow of the tree. Slowly, she turned to face Kish. Her silver braids swung against her back and her silver eyes softened. She raised a hand and an intricate symbol appeared before her. _

_ The scene before him vanished instantly. Kish was hovering above a small park, watching a kirema rat attack a boy about his own age. The boy was thrown across the park before he even knew what the thing was. _

_ “ _ Masaya! _ ” _

_ A girl about the same age ran into the park, red pigtails bouncing. Kish thought she looked familiar. Suddenly the rat stepped in front of her, snarling… _

Kish’s eyes snapped open, breathing hard. There was a soft knock on the door.

“Kish, you awake?” said Bryn’s voice.

“Uh, yeah,” said Kish.

“Better hurry up, we’re leaving soon.”

Bryn’s footsteps faded away. Kish sighed. After Bryn’s parents had found out that Kish’s mother had died, they insisted on taking him in. It wasn’t that Kish didn’t like living with them, but it reminded him every day that his mom was gone. 

* * *

The last bell rang. Kish stood up. 

“Hey Kish!”

He looked up. It was Mairead.

“Did you hear about the dance performance tonight in the Kyoto Dome?” she asked.

“No,” said Kish. “Why?”

Mairead swallowed and hurriedly put a slip of paper on his desk. Kish picked it up and looked at it. It was a ticket.

“It’s at seven,” she said. “See you there!”

She darted out of the room. Kish stared at the ticket in his hand. Why did he feel so weird all of the sudden? His heart was thumping against his chest like it was trying to get out and his face felt slightly hot. He shook his head.

_ Probably just the heat. _

But as he left the school, still clutching the ticket, he was pretty sure it had nothing to do with the temperature.

Kish walked down the trail towards Bryn’s house. Bryn and Rikuto were still at the school, doing some after school sport.

“AUGH! Whoa! WHOA!”

Kish jumped, startled by the sudden shout.

“Hang on, Taruto!”

A Dragon Pegasus burst out of the brush, bucking wildly as Taruto clung on for dear life. Tanya was circling above as though trying to find a way she could swoop down and pull him off.

“Taruto, what are you doing?” Kish shouted.

“Can’t talk right nowwwwwww!”

He almost flew off of the Pegasus. The Pegasus galloped back into the woods. 

“Whoaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!”

Kish sighed.

“Better go after him,” he muttered.

He found Taruto just as Taruto flew off the Pegasus, whirled through the air and landed in a tree. The Pegasus escaped into the woods.

The branches flailed in the tree Taruto had fallen into and Taruto fell out, landing on his back.

“Ouch,” he said.

“Can you talk now?” Kish asked.

Taruto rolled his eyes and sat up tentatively.

“That was really close that time!” said Tanya. “Maybe we should have started with regular pegasii.”

“Maybe, but that’s no fun,” said Taruto.

“You agreed with me the last time you tried to ride dragons that you should start with wyverns,” Tanya pointed out. 

“Yeah, but anyone can ride regular pegasii!” said Taruto.

This could go on for a while, and Kish was sure it would have if it hadn’t been the person who stepped out of the trees. It was Orla. Orla didn’t notice them at first; she was too busy glancing over her shoulder as though she was afraid someone was following her. She turned to face forward and saw the trio. A flash of shock registered in her eyes and she glanced at the ground as though something was missing.

Taruto saw her first. He let out a surprised ‘eep!’ and darted behind Tanya.

“Hi Orla!” said Tanya cheerily.

“What do you think you’re doing out here?” Orla asked.

“Taruto was trying to ride a Dragon Pegasii.”

“Leave me out of this, Tanya,” Taruto squeaked from behind her.

Okay, so Orla was intimidating, but why was she scaring Taruto so much?

“What are you staring at?” Orla snapped at him.

“Well you kind of just stepped out of nowhere,” said Kish.

_ Not to mention you kind of attract attention. _

Kish shook his head.

“Come on Taruto, Tanya. Let’s go.”

Kish turned around and started walking. Taruto hurried to follow, and Tanya trailed behind after giving Orla a cheery smile. 

* * *

Kish stood outside Kyoto Dome, trying to find Mairead in the crowd. It was hard to see with the setting sun and darkening sky.

“Kish! Over here!”

Kish turned and saw Mairead. He also saw Kendra, Kokoro, Rikuto, Bryn, Taruto and Tanya. He walked quickly over to the group.

“I didn’t know you were all coming,” he said.

“We thought we’d tag along,” said Kendra, giving Kish a wink. Kish wasn’t entirely sure what she meant by that, but he wasn’t going to ask.

They went into the dome.

“Let’s find our seats,” said Kendra.

She glanced at the ticket she was holding and led the way. Just as Kish sat down next to Mairead the lights dimmed.

“Welcome to the twentieth annual Inter-Race Dance Performance, bringing all races together through dance!”

The voice resounded around the dome.

“Our first performance is from Delfina Metzi, elf from Mesok!”

Kish didn’t really pay that much attention to the dances. He glanced at the program. Apparently, this performance was a bunch of people who had won auditions at different locations. He glanced down the list. The last performance would be someone from Kyoto. Kish wondered if he would know the person.

Before he knew it, the last performance was starting.

“And our final performance, from right here in Kyoto, is Orla Fallon!”

“What?”

For a second, Kish thought he had said that. But when he glanced at Mairead beside him, he saw she was the one who had spoken.

“It’s her!” Rikuto whispered.

“The creepy girl?” said Kokoro.

Rikuto nodded.

The spotlight turned on, illuminating Orla standing in the center of the stage. The music started and Orla started dancing.

“Whoa, she’s actually pretty good,” said Bryn.

“She’d have to be to make it here,” said Kendra.

Suddenly Kish’s Eversphere flashed cold and then warm. He glanced down at it. Cold meant a Kyaldian was nearby, and warm meant—

A giant— _ thing _ —burst through the roof. Kish leapt to his feet. The thing was a grotesque mixture of a mermaid, a unicorn, a bird and a woman. There was a split-second of silence—then chaos broke out. Everyone was screaming and trying to get to the exit at once while the monstrous kirema anima destroyed everything with its giant tail.

“Kish!” Mairead shouted over the noise.

“Mairead, get the others out of here!” Kish shouted. “I’ve got to take care of this.”

There was fear in Mairead’s eyes, but she nodded and ran to the others.

“Kyalda Wind! METAMORPHOSIS!”

Kish transformed and took off into the air. Taruto and Tanya were right behind him.

“That thing is huge!” said Tanya.

“And ugly,” said Taruto, sticking out his tongue.

“Let’s wrap this up quickly,” said Kish.

The others nodded.

“Ribbon…Vine Strike!”

“Ribbon…Crystal Counter!”

“Ribbon…Wind Storm!”

The three attacks hit the kirema anima. Smoke billowed in front of it and Kish landed on the stage.

“Did we get it?”

Suddenly the red tail whipped out of the smoke and pummeled Kish in the stomach. He went flying back and narrowly missed hitting the wall.

“Kish!” said Taruto.

“Are you okay?” asked Tanya.

“I think so,” said Kish. “Ow.”

The smoke blew away as the kirema anima dove for them. The trio leapt in different directions to avoid the attack. The anima crashed through the stage, creating more smoke.

“This smoke is making it worse,” Kish muttered. “Ribbon Wind Storm!”

The wind blew all of the smoke away, revealing the kirema anima just above him. The tail whipped around and hit Kish again, throwing him across the auditorium.

“Ribbon Vine Strike!”

Vines shot up from the ground and wrapped around the anima, holding for a split second before it broke free again.

“Ribbon Crystal Counter!”

Pale blue energy smacked into the anima. It swung around and hit both Taruto and Tanya. Kish struggled to his feet—and got hit again.

This time he did smack into the wall. He crumpled to the ground, feeling like every bone was broken. He could see the stars and swirling clouds above him through the ruined ceiling. The kirema anima loomed above him, blocking the stars.

Kish braced himself for the strike.

It never came. Silver fire shot from nowhere and formed into a shining silver whip. The whip wrapped around the anima and held it fast. The anima screeched and struggled, but the whip held.

Kish tried to see the person who had rescued him. Was there someone standing in the shadows there?

More silver fire shot from the shadows, hitting the anima and illuminating the attacker for a split second. No way!

“Orla?” said Kish.

Orla leapt from the shadows, hands sparking with the silver fire. She threw a fireball at the kirema anima and it fell back. Orla shot bolt after bolt of the silver fire at the anima, forcing it back.

Suddenly black fire shot from the hole in the ceiling and struck Orla down. She fell to one knee, wincing.

“Wind Sais!” Kish shouted. “Ribbon—”

More black fire shot from the ruined ceiling and hit the sais from his hands. A second bolt of black fire hit Kish against a wall and his arm snapped. It was all he could do not to scream in pain. The kirema anima advanced on the two of them.

And then Orla started glowing.

Kish’s Eversphere went cold as a small silver pendant appeared in Orla’s hand.

“You’re a Kyaldian!” he said.

“What?” said Orla.

She looked more surprised than Kish would have thought.

“You have to try and transform,” said Kish, trying to stand. “I’m not going to be much help right now.”

For the first time ever, Orla looked frightened.

“I—can’t,” she said.

“You have to!” said Kish. “You’re a Kyaldian!”

“No!” said Orla. “I don’t want to be one!”

There was terror in Orla’s eyes.

“You can do it!” said Kish.

The kirema anima screeched and the tail surged toward them. The glow around Orla intensified.

“KYALDA MOON!! METAMORPHOSIS!”

The silver light flashed bright and faded, leaving Orla transformed.

She was wearing a short silver dress with a thin bow tied behind her. A silver streak ran through her bangs. A long silver horse tail flicked behind her and small feathered silver wings shone metallically.

“This is… really weird,” said Orla.

“You did it!” said Kish.

The kirema anima screeched again, bringing them both back to their senses.

“Oh yeah, we better beat that thing,” said Kish.

“That would be a good idea,” said Orla.

She held her hands out in front of her.

“Moon Sabers!” she said.

Two short curved swords appeared in her hands.

“Ribbon…”

Silver fire coursed up and down the two blades. With a swift movement, Orla brought them down in a slashing movement.

“Moonshine SURGE!”

The fire blasted from the swords and smashed into the kirema anima. It fell to the ground. Kish struggled to his feet, one arm dangling uselessly.

“Ribbon Wind Storm!”

Wind smacked into the kirema anima and it defused.

“We did it!” said Kish.

Orla didn’t answer. Kish turned. She was glowing again.

“The moon…” she whispered, staring into the sky.

Kish glanced up. There was the full moon. Was it that late already?

He glanced back down at Orla—and there was the silver willow from his dream. The woman from his dream appeared at the base of the tree.

“I’m here, Orla,” she whispered.

Her voice was low and sweet. Kish stared at the silvery shine around her, a light to rival the moon itself. She turned to face Kish and smiled.

“I never had a chance to meet you before,” she said softly. “I always knew that Fen and Kelda would fall in love, though they protested otherwise.”

“You’re Hailie!” Kish said in disbelief.

She nodded.

“But—but you—you—”

“Died?” Hailie said.

Kish nodded numbly.

“A Moon Wraith, even one that chose mortality, can never truly die,” she said softly. “But you must rest now, Kyalda Wind.”

Kish felt tired.

“They will not miss you until morning,” she whispered. 

Then she faded away into the moonlight, and Kish fell gratefully into the deep waters of sleep. 

* * *

When Kish woke up, the sun was peeking over the horizon and his arm felt better. He was in his normal form. He sat up. Orla slept peacefully and in normal form a little further off, but she was starting to stir. Taruto and Tanya were still in a deep sleep. Orla sat up.

“You saw her.”

It wasn’t a question, but Kish nodded. Orla sighed and hugged her knees.

“I’m only half Cyniclon,” she said. “The other half is Moon Wraith, so I change into a tree at the full moon.”

Kish nodded.

“I didn’t know that happened,” he said.

“Only with wraiths,” said Orla. “Other spirits don’t have that effect.”

“I’m half sylph, actually,” said Kish.

Orla looked slightly surprised.

“If your mother was Hailie, then your father must be—”

“Pai, yes,” said Orla. 

She sounded slightly irritated. Kish’s confusion must have showed, because she went on.

“Ever since mom died he’s been overly protective.”

“I wouldn’t know how you feel,” he said.

“Isn’t your mom protective of you?” asked Orla.

“She used to be.”

Orla looked confused for a second, then she looked sad.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered.

“It wasn’t your fault,” he said.

Orla still looked sad.

“I’m sorry I didn’t transform right away,” she said softly. “I was afraid. I hate being different than everyone else. Being a Kyaldian just makes me more different.”

“It’s okay,” said Kish. “Because as a Kyaldian at least you aren’t alone!”

Orla looked up. 

“And we’re friends now, right?” he said.

Orla blinked, as though shocked.

“Are you sure?” she said. “People will think you’re weird if you’re friends with me.”

“Don’t worry, everyone thinks I’m weird anyway,” said Kish, grinning.

Orla stared at him. Then she nodded slowly. Kish held out his hand, and Orla grasped it. They smiled at each other. Taruto and Tanya sat up. Taruto squeaked when he saw Orla and dived behind Tanya. Orla giggled and Taruto looked out in surprise when he heard her.

“What happened to her?” said Tanya.

It seemed like they had never seen her smile before, much less giggle. Kish grinned.

“Long story,” he said.

“Why don’t I start?” said Orla.


	8. Enter Freakiness - An Enemy Reveals Herself!

“Yay the beach!!”

Tanya ran down to the edge of the water. A few drops sprayed out at her and she laughed. She cupped some water in her hands and tossed it at Taruto, soaking him.

“Tanya!!”

Taruto started chasing Tanya up and down the beach, Tanya laughing like this was the funniest thing in the world.

“Great day!” said Kendra.

“Yeah,” said Mairead, closing her eyes against the soothing wind.

Kish looked away from the waves.

“I think I feel sick,” he said.

“Oh toughen up!” said Bryn, slapping Kish on the back and knocking him over.

“Bryn!”

Kish hit Bryn on the head.

“I feel sick enough without you hitting me!”

“You hit really hard,” said Bryn, holding his head.

Kish groaned and sat down feeling nauseous.

“Are you okay Kish?” asked Mairead.

“I don’t like water,” Kish muttered. “I really don’t like water.”

Mairead glanced at Kendra. Kendra winked at her and gave her a nudge.

“Uh, Kish?” asked Mairead. “Did you want to go up the cliff trails instead? Then you wouldn’t be able to see the ocean.”

Kish looked up at her.

“Uh, sure,” said Kish, feeling his face heat up.

He stood up.

“We’ll be down here,” said Kendra. “You two lovebirds have fun.”

“Kendra!” said Mairead, face turning red.

Kish felt himself blushing even worse than he had been before. The pair left the others and went up to the foot of the trail.

“Sorry about that,” said Mairead. “Kendra’s a bit—oh I don’t know what she is!”

“It’s okay,” said Kish.

They headed up the trail. As they went, their initial embarrassment vanished.

“It’s so pretty,” said Mairead.

Kish nodded.

“It really is a nice day,” he said.

Wind rustled through the trees, tousling the pair’s hair and whispering past their ears. Mairead sighed as though with pleasure. Kish smiled. This was much better than the beach.

They broke from the trees and came out onto a flat plateau overlooking the sea. It wasn’t so bad seeing it from high above with the wind rushing all around him. Mairead stared across the ocean, wind picking up hair off her shoulders.

“It’s so beautiful,” she murmured. “The ocean just seems to go on forever.”

Kish made the mistake of glancing down the cliff to where the sea crashed against the rocks. They sounded like rumbling thunder. Kish’s stomach lurched and he took a step from the side.

“Mairead? I’m going to step away for a sec.”

Mairead nodded, still staring at the sea. Kish took a few steps away from the cliff face until the sound of the waves was faint. He sighed. Some Kyaldian he was; getting sick just looking at the waves.

Suddenly his Eversphere flashed with heat. He thought he could feel a pair of eyes on him. He looked around, trying to find the source. Where was it coming from?

He searched the trees with his eyes. There! The presence was in that big oak!

He glanced back at Mairead, still standing on the bluff. He would have to take care of this before he went back. With a sudden burst of determination, he walked swiftly towards the oak. He thought he saw the shadow of someone standing on a branch…

When he got closer, the shadow darted away to another tree.

“Hey! Get back here!” said Kish.

He ran after the shadow. It continued to evade him, darting from one tree to the next. It didn’t occur to Kish that it might being luring him away from Mairead until he realized he was lost.

_ Dang. _

He had totally fell for that trick. And what’s worse, the shadow was gone. Kish turned in slow circles, trying to find the shadow or something familiar that might show him the way back.

Suddenly he was hit with the feeling of being watched again and his Eversphere warmed in warning.

“Who’s there?”

“Who’s there?” someone called back mockingly.

Kish bristled.

“Seriously Windy, you’re way too easy to read.”

The shadow suddenly swooped toward him. He felt lips on his. 

He wanted to break away from the attacker, but for some reason he suddenly felt drained. It was if this enemy was draining his energy through the stolen kiss…

The opponent broke away and Kish slumped back. The person was still there. With a feeble effort, he lashed out. The person grabbed his wrist and twisted it painfully. Kish struggled, and then the person grabbed his chin and forced him to look up at her.

She was deathly pale. Her raven black hair and burning red eyes made her seem even paler. Her mouth twisted up into a smirk as Kish struggled.

“Let go!” said Kish.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Am I hurting you?”

She smirked again. Kish struggled against her weakly, unable to break free.

“Who are you?” he said.

“That’s not really important, Windy, but my name is Kolora,” said the Cyniclon.

She let go of him. He hit the ground and all the air rushed out of him. Kolora snapped her fingers and ropes of black fire surged from the ground, binding Kish’s arms to his sides.

_ Black fire. _

The memory rushed through him, hurting more than the tight ropes did. His mom, knocking him out of the way and being consumed in a swirl of dark fire…

“It was you!” he said. “You killed my mom!”

Kolora laughed.

“So you are smart enough to put two and two together,” she said.

Anger surged through Kish. He struggled against the fire more strongly, hatred rushing through him.

“You can do that all day, Windy and you won’t get out,” said Kolora.

“Let go of me!” Kish shouted at her.

“I don’t think so.”

The fiery bonds tightened and pain lanced through Kish. He didn’t scream. He wouldn’t give Kolora that pleasure. She watched with amusement, as though this was entertaining for her.

“Not going to yell for help, Windy?” she said.

“Stop calling me that,” Kish said. 

The bonds tightened even more, making it nearly impossible for him to breathe.

“Maybe you should stop talking,” said Kolora.

She was having  _ way  _ too much fun with this.

“Maybe  _ you _ should just shut up,” Kish said, very quietly though because he could barely breathe.

The ropes tightened even more. Black fire danced around Kolora’s fingertips.

“Let’s see now,” she said. “Should I just let the vines squeeze you to death or should I kill you myself?”

Kish couldn’t breathe. He ignored her, trying to find a way to use his air powers to filter air into his empty lungs.

“If I leave you here then someone will find you, so I guess I’ll just kill you now,” Kolora said. “It’s been fun, Windy, but its goodbye now.”

The flames formed a sword made completely from fire. Kolora raised it to slash down. Kish braced himself…

A pillar of water shot through the trees, pummeling Kolora into a tree trunk and leaving her soaking wet. The sword had disappeared.

A girl stepped from the trees, blue eyes flashing. Her long blond hair nearly brushed the ground. The blue of her eyes matched perfectly with the dark blue dress and cloak she wore. A quiver was strapped to her back. In one hand she held a long ebony colored staff, a sapphire winking at its tip. In the other was a long ebony bow.

Was she elven? No her ears were too big; they looked like a Cyniclon’s.

With a fluid, almost water like movement, she dropped the staff, pulled an arrow from the quiver and shot. The arrow flew right past Kish, water somehow spraying from its tip and putting out the flames that held him. Air rushed back into his lungs and he fell forward, gasping. The girl leapt forward and caught him before he hit the ground.

“Who—who are you?” Kish asked weakly.

The girl didn’t answer right away.

“I am the Blue Nymph,” she said.

Weren’t nymphs some kind of spirit? Tree? No tree spirits were called dryads… For some reason, though, Kish wasn’t really concerned about it. Her voice was so soothing, like raindrops pattering against a roof mixed with a singing brook. He could lose himself in that voice.

The girl leaned him gently against a tree and stood up. Kolora was back on her feet, the fiery sword once more in her grasp.

“I don’t appreciate interruptions from stupid blondes,” Kolora hissed.

The Blue Nymph sent Kolora a look. That look was so dangerous, Kish himself was kind of frightened. Kolora seemed to falter. Then she regained her composure.

“Well I already know you can use that bow,” she said, sneering. “But how good are you at swordplay?”

Without another warning, she darted towards the Blue Nymph, going for a deadly under swipe. With the grace of water, Blue Nymph flowed around the attack and produced a sapphire colored sword from the folds of her cloak.

Kolora skidded to a stop and charged again, this time with a sideswipe. Blue Nymph flicked her sword almost casually to deflect the blow. Kolora jerked back as though she expected a counter attack. None came. Kolora feinted to the head and went for the right. Blue Nymph blocked this attack as well. 

Screeching in frustration, Kolora attacked recklessly, charging for the Blue Nymph head on. Blue Nymph sidestepped the advance and Kolora stumbled, thrown off balance. In that instant, Blue Nymph scooped up her staff and knocked Kolora in the back with it, throwing her to the ground. The sapphire blade flicked to Kolora’s exposed neck.

Kolora panted, eyes filled with hatred. Blue Nymph watched her unflinchingly with a calm sort of power.

“Do you yield?” Blue Nymph asked softly.

Kolora glared at Blue Nymph again, then smirked.

“You think you’ve won,” she said. “But I’ll be back.”

She vanished. Blue Nymph let her arm drop to her side—though Kish noticed she kept a firm grip on the hilt.

Blue Nymph turned to Kish and helped him to his feet.

“Why did you save me?” Kish asked.

“I was born to protect you,” she said.

“But that doesn’t make any sense.”

Blue Nymph smiled at him. Then she vanished as it she had never been. Kish was almost wondering her he had imagined the whole thing. But then he saw the arrow the Blue Nymph had used to free him from the fire. 

He picked it up and studied it. The arrow was black, like the Nymph’s staff. The arrowhead seemed to be made from some kind of blue rock and the feathers on the other the end were—metallic blue? What kind of bird around her had metallic blue feathers. He couldn’t understand it. 

Then he remembered—he was still lost. He looked around hopefully, thinking maybe he would recognize something. There was nothing. Then he glanced at his Eversphere.

Could it work?

He gripped the copper ring tightly and closed his eyes. He reached out with his mind. It wasn’t working. He had no idea what he was doing. He wasn’t telepathic!

Kish pushed aside these doubts and tried harder. Suddenly he felt like he was pushing against a barrier. He pushed harder, probing it for weaknesses.

Suddenly he found one and pushed all the way through. Feelings, emotions, images, snippets of thought all crashed down on him. He tried to ignore them, sorting through them to find someone who could hear him.

Taruto or Tanya? They both had Everspheres, too.

He reached for the twins, holding their image in his head. A sharp pain lanced through his head.

_ They’re too far away,  _ he thought.  _ Or maybe since they haven’t figured out to get past the barrier in their heads they can’t hear me. _

He turned his thoughts to Orla. She was a half moon wraith, and moon wraiths were known for being empaths and telepathics.

Another pain lanced through his head. Her mind was closed off, as though she hadn’t been able to breach her barrier.

Who was left? Leoti? She was probably too far away. Pai? He probably shut down his mind after he lost Hailie. Meav? Her mind was probably too foreign to penetrate.

A thought occurred to him. Maybe Mairead would be able to hear him. Without consciously thinking about it, he reached out for Mairead’s mind.

—Hello—

Kish felt a sudden connection. He felt Mairead’s shock.

—Kish? Is that you—

—Yes, it’s me—

—How are you doing this—

—I really have absolutely no idea. Listen, I got attacked and now I’m lost in the woods—

—Got it. I’ll get the other Kyaldians and we’ll find you—

—Thanks—

Kish broke off the connection, feeling drained yet exhilarated at the same time. He had had no idea that he had that kind of power. Was it something that anyone could learn how to do, or was it just Kyaldians? Why had he only been able to contact Mairead? Why hadn’t he been able to contact others with Everspheres?

The questions swirled in his head nonstop. Suddenly he stopped and a new question arose.

_ Who is the Blue Nymph? _

* * *

“She kissed you?”

Leoti had suddenly turned pale, hands gripping the arms of her chair tightly. Kish flushed.

“You don’t have to go on about it,” he muttered. 

Mairead patted him on the back reassuringly, as if to tell him it wasn’t his fault. Mairead had been accepted into the group of the Kyaldians once it was discovered that she knew about the Kyaldians and she was the only one that had been able to hear Kish.

“That’s not what I’m talking about,” said Leoti, eyes flashing. “Kolora was one of the enemies the original Kyaldians fought. She’s half banshee.”

Kish blinked.

“What does that mean?” asked Taruto.

“Banshees by nature need to feed on others energy,” said Anzu. “They suck out energy through a kiss.”

Kish shuddered.

“So she stole my magic?” he said.

“Well your magic is an integral part of you, so it can never been completely stolen, but she did steal some of your energy. That’s what made you so weak.”

Leoti leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temple.

“If she sucked your energy  _ and _ used her fire magic, how did you manage to escape?” she asked. “Before, the Kyaldians couldn’t get away from her powers without help.”

“I had help,” said Kish. “Some strange Cyniclon girl saved me.”

Leoti watched Kish, waiting.

“She said her name was Blue Nymph,” he said.

He gave a quick description of what she looked like.

“She was like a weapons master,” he said. “She could use a staff, a sword and a bow and arrow. Not to mention she easily defeated Kolora.”

He paused.

“The weird thing is, I think I know her from somewhere,” he said. “I just can’t figure it out.”

Leoti asked for more particulars on the Blue Nymph’s fighting style. After she was done asking questions, Meav started asking about the way she acted. These interrogations seemed to go on forever.

“That sounds so AWESOME!” said Tanya. “I wish I had seen it!”

Taruto shrugged.

“It sounds weird,” he said. “I mean, why would she say ‘I was born to protect you?’ It just sounds weird.”

“It’s cool!” Tanya said. “It’s sooo romantic!”

Taruto rolled his eyes only to have Tanya knock him on the head.

“Just you wait,  _ you’ll _ fall in love with somebody one day and you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about,” said Tanya.

“Like I’ll ever fall in love,” Taruto muttered. 

Meav was whispering to Anzu and Anzu was nodding, his rabbit ears flapping. Leoti stared off into space. Pai closed his eyes, as though thinking hard about it. Taruto and Tanya were still arguing. Orla stood at the window, staring out into the pouring rain. Kish found himself watching her, wondering what she was thinking.

Orla glanced at him, and Kish suddenly felt a connection between them, not like the one he now shared with Mairead, but something more emotional. Orla was…warning him? From what?

Kish let his thoughts drift to the Blue Nymph. Why did she seem so familiar? Was it possible that someone could transform into her and he could feel the same presence?

Meav? They had the same hair color but that was where the similarities ended. Plus Meav was a neko, and nekos weren’t known for any special powers beyond transforming into animals. Maybe Leoti? They had the same hair color and mysterious personality. Still, Leoti didn’t strike him as the type to save him. Tanya couldn’t be that serious if the fate of the universe depended on it. Orla hadn’t seemed surprised… Could she be the Blue Nymph?

_ No way. _

Still…it was a possibility, wasn’t it? They had different eye and hair colors, but still… They both had the same mysterious and exotic aura. The dangerous glance Blue Nymph had given Kolora had definitely been like Orla. 

—Mairead—

Mairead gave no sign on the outside that she had heard, but he could feel her recognition.

—What—

—Who do you think the Blue Nymph is—

Mairead didn’t answer at first. He could feel her rolling emotions of uncertainty, see vague images that she couldn’t understand.

—It’s strange—

Kish blinked.

—What’s strange—

—Blue Nymph… Her name almost seems familiar to me. Like maybe I’ve met her before—

They broke the connection, both having something to think about now.


	9. Rising Shadows - Why Are We Fighting a Friend?

Leoti was asleep, head resting on her desk. The computer screen in front of her blinked as tiny dots moved across the screen. She breathed in and out softly. A soft amber glow filled the room from the small sphere hovering above her head. Beneath her hand, a piece of paper rested, looking as though it had just been printed. 

A shadow appeared in the corner. Kolora smirked when she saw the sleeping Leoti.

“No wonder your security magic was low tonight,” she said. “Guess you couldn’t handle the stress, little sister.”

Kolora strode forward and carefully took the paper out of Leoti’s hand. A smile crossed her face.

“So,” she whispered. “You’ve discovered the last Kyaldian.”

Kolora tucked the note back under Leoti’s hand and backed away.

“Sleep tight, little sister,” she whispered. “Hope your dreams are sweet because when you wake up it's going to be a nightmare.”

Kolora vanished.

* * *

Kendra woke up suddenly, senses tingling. With a swift movement, she rolled out of bed into a fighting crouch. She unnoticeably slid a knife out of her sleeve.

There was someone in her room.

Kendra had honed her fighting abilities for years since she had been harassed in first grade. She had trained under an elven Tracker from a dimension called Shannara and her senses were almost as sharp as an elf’s.

Nothing happened.

Kendra could feel the presence close by. Why were they hesitating? She held her stance, waiting. Still, nothing happened. Had she been wrong?

“Are you going to drop the martial arts stance anytime soon?”

Kendra whirled. A woman was leaning against the wall, raven black hair glinting in the early morning light.

“Who are you, how did you get in here and what do you want?” Kendra said, raising the dagger higher.

“My name is Kolora, I teleported in here and as for what I want,” the woman said. “Well, I’ll let you figure that out.”

She raised her palm and Kendra blacked out.

* * *

Kish opened his eyes, his head buzzing like it was full of wasps. He groaned and rolled over in bed, trying to ignore it. But the buzzing continued. Kish groaned again and sat up. He rubbed his temples, hoping the buzzing would stop. Instead, it got worse.

What was going on?

His Eversphere heated up and Kish was suddenly alert. He paid closer attention to the buzzing, trying to figure out where it was coming from. The window!

Kish got of bed and looked out the window. The second he did, something big crashed through the window and threw him back.

“In the name of Blue,” he swore.

Kendra was standing in his room. But she looked different. She was wearing a short purple dress with laces up the sides and tall boots. Long purple gloves reached up to her elbows and she held a long black and purple staff. But what really surprised Kish was the big black dragon wings and the long spade-tipped dragon tail.

“Kendra, you’re a Kyaldian?” Kish said.

Then he noticed Kendra’s blank eyes.

Oh no.

“Ribbon…” Kendra started in a hollow voice.

Kish ducked past her and vaulted out the window. He had to get her away from here before she caused damage! Kendra followed Kish through the window.

“Great Blue!” he swore. “Kyalda Wind! METAMORPHOSIS!!”

He transformed and took off into the air. Kendra followed him.

“Ribbon… Shadow Assault.”

The attack clipped Kish’s wing and nearly sent him out of the sky. He managed to regain his balance and flew faster. Kendra was falling behind. He had known she would; he was an air element and she appeared to be shadow. Air elements were much faster than other elements.

Kish swerved underneath a blast of shadows. Great Kyalda, where were Taruto and the others? His Kyalda Pendant blinked.

_ “Kish? What’s going on; why have you transformed?” _

Leoti’s voice came into his head.

_ “Leoti?” _

_ “Yes, it’s me! What’s going on?” _

_ “Kendra’s a Kyaldian!” _ said Kish. 

_ “I knew that! Why have you both transformed? Is it Kolora?” _

_ “No, it’s Kendra! She’s been mind-wiped or something and she’s attacking me!” _

Kish thought he heard Leoti say something in another language—probably a swear a some sort.

_ “Okay, I’m contacting the other Kyaldians. Try to keep Kendra away from where you’ll be seen.” _

_ “Sorry Leoti, but I think it’s too late.” _

They were soaring over Kyoto. Kendra was still shooting shadows at him and Kish breathed a sigh of relief for the silence of shadows and the early morning. No one was awake and the attacks weren’t loud enough to wake them. But they were headed downtown to where people were up this early and the buildings were taller. 

Kish slowed, trying to decide what to do. That was a mistake.

The shadows hit him directly this time. He spiraled toward the ground, desperately trying to make his wings work. The ground was coming up too fast!

“Ribbon Vine Strike!”

Vines shot from the ground and grabbed Kish, stopping his fall and placing him gently on the ground.

“Are you okay?” asked Taruto.

Kish nodded.

“Thanks for that save,” he said. “I thought I was a goner.”

“So did I,” said Orla, blowing the hair from her eyes.

“Kendra-oneechan is a Kyaldian?” said Tanya.

Kish nodded again.

“I think she’s been mind-wiped,” he said.

“Leoti said Kolora has that ability,” said Orla. “It’s a definite possibility.”

Shadows hit the ground between the group.

“Right, less talking, more figuring out what do to,” said Kish. “Let’s split up. Keep open contact.”

The others nodded and took off.

Kendra hesitated, as though unsure who to follow. Kish flew ahead, then made a slow wide turn, waiting to see what Kendra would do. He thought he saw her shudder and wince, but then it was gone and she darted after him. 

Kish dodged her charge and she overshot past him, crashing through the window of a building.

“Dang,” Kish swore.

There were shouts inside the building as he zoomed through the window after Kendra. She was still on the ground when he landed inside with the others. She slowly started to get up.

“So what do we do?” Taruto asked.

Kish shook his head.

“We can’t fight her,” said Orla. “She is not acting of her own free will.”

“But we can’t just let her attack us!” said Tanya.

“She is one of our kind,” said Orla.

Kish didn’t know what to do. Orla was right, but so was Tanya. He took a deep breath and looked up at Kendra. He took a step forward. Tanya grabbed his arm.

“What are you doing?” she said.

“Trust me,” said Kish.

Tanya bit her lip but she let go. Kish walked closer to Kendra.

“Kendra.”

Kendra started to raise her staff and then stopped. Kish was sure he saw the tiniest flicker of recognition in her eyes. She winced and shut her eyes. The staff fell from her hands and she clutched her head, trembling as though with effort.

“Get—out—of—my—head!” she said.

“We have to help her!” said Kish.

Orla was the first to react. She flared with silver light and a rope of energy surged to Kendra, fueling her. Kish flared with white light. Taruto was next, glowing with green. Tanya finished the connection, sending blue energy to Kendra.

_ “Hold on Kendra!”  _ said Kish.

_ “You can do it oneechan!” _ said Tanya.

_ “Push her out Kendra!”  _ shouted Orla.

_ “Go Kendra!”  _ thought Taruto.

Kish thought he could hear Kendra answer back, but it was muffled by the buzzing he had heard before. He suddenly realized that the buzzing was the spell Kolora has used.

_ “We have to get rid of the spell!”  _ said Kish.

_ “Got it,”  _ said Orla.

Kish felt Orla’s line of energy intensify, now being used to flush out Kolora’s presence. Kish fed some of his energy to Orla, helping her get rid of the spell. 

They were on the verge of breaking it when something distracted Kish. Or course, how could you not be distracted when someone hit you in the stomach and pinned you to the ground?

Kolora stood with one foot on Kish’s stomach.

“Nice try, Windy,” she said. “You’re more powerful than I thought. You almost broke my memory spell.”

“We still will!” said Kish.

“What, you mean the little moon wraith?” said Kolora. “She’s already out of the running, Windy.”

Orla was on the ground, gasping for breath. Taruto was struggling with his own vines and Tanya was frozen in place as though she was a statue.

“Orla! Taruto! Tanya!” Kish shouted.

Kolora increased the pressure on his stomach and cut off Kish’s air.

“Now it’s your turn,” Kolora said, facing Kish. “You were always so easy to trap.”

Kish couldn’t get free. A fiery sword appeared in Kolora’s hand.

“Bye-bye Windy.”

“RIBBON SHADOW ASSAULT!”

Shadows hit Kolora and threw across the room. Kish rolled to his feet and whipped around. Kendra stood there, panting and gripping her staff.

“That was for possessing me,” she said.

“You’re all right!” said Kish.

Kendra smiled.

“It wasn’t easy, I can tell you that,” she said.

Tanya blinked and unfroze. Orla managed to take a breath and Taruto’s vines retreated.

“That means we have all the Kyaldians now!” said Tanya.

“This isn’t over yet,” Kolora hissed.

Suddenly a kirema anima appeared in the window like a giant brown bat with a dinosaur head.

“Uh oh,” said Taruto. “Is it just me, or is that thing big?”

“That thing’s big,” said Kish.

“Then let’s kick some butt!” said Tanya. “Ribbon Crystal Counter!!”

Blue energy shot at the kirema anima. The anima opened it mouth and swallowed the attack like it was nothing.

“Eek!” said Tanya, ducking as the creature sent the attack hurtling back.

“Try that on for size, little Kyaldians!” said Kolora, laughing.

Orla glared at the anima and charged.

“Ribbon Moonshine Surge!” she shouted.

The anima swallowed the attack and sent it back again just like it had before. Orla barely got out of the way.

“Ribbon Shadow Assault!” shouted Kendra.

The same thing happened again, but this time the attack hit Kendra in the wing and spun her in circles.

“This isn’t working!” said Kish.

“Really?” said Orla sarcastically.

“We have to find another way to defeat it,” said Kish. “Our abilities aren’t strong enough.”

An idea sparked in his mind.

“We need to combine our power,” he said. “Like we did to help Kendra.”

Orla nodded.

“Let’s do it,” said Kendra.

“Let’s beat this thing!” said Tanya.

“The sooner the better,” said Taruto.

Tanya and Taruto started glowing with their respective colors, the two colors melding together. Orla added her light to the mix, followed by Kendra. The four sent their energy to Kish, who started glowing bright with the multicolored energy laced with his own white energy.

There was so much power! He could feel his friends energy pulsing through him. He blinked.

There were words appearing in his mind.

He held up his Wind Sais.

“Wing Sword!” he shouted.

The sais transformed, melding together to form a long sword. The hilt was carved to look like two outstretched wings with a golden twister in the center.

“Ribbon…”

Rainbow energy gathered around the tip of the sword.

“Wing Strike!!”

A rainbow Feathered Dragon burst from the tip of his sword and the rainbow energy burst around the room. The kirema anima defused and Kolora vanished. The room was silent for a minute. 

Orla nudged Kish.

“We have a problem,” she said.

In a split second, Kish noticed the camera filming them and the room filled with people staring at them. Then everyone started talking at once.

“What the heck is going on here?”

“Who are you?”

“Is this some kind of joke?”

“The Kyaldians are back!”

“That was a kirema anima!”

“Who was the creepy lady?”

“Where did you come from?”

“Are you really the Kyaldians?”

Kish felt overwhelmed.

“What are we going to do?” Orla whispered. “If we just leave, then people will get suspicious!”

“Are you saying we should say something?” said Kish.

“I’m saying you should say something!” said Orla.

“Me???”

“You’re our fearless leader,” Orla hissed.

Kish swallowed and turned to the camera.

“Yes,” he said. “We are the Kyaldians.”

On an impulse, he smiled.

“You can leave protecting the world up to us!”

Far away, Leoti slapped herself on the forehead.

“That’s just like him,” said Mairead, laughing.


	10. Feelings I Can’t Say - Why Is My Heart Beating So Fast?

Kish yawned for the third time that morning.

“You look tired, Kish,” said Bryn.

“I think I stayed up too late last night,” Kish lied.

Bryn glanced at the group.

“It looks like half of you stayed up too late,” he said.

Kish avoided Bryn’s gaze.

It was true that he wasn’t the only one who was tired. Kendra looked dead on her feet. Taruto was yawning even more than Kish and Orla was leaning against a tree half asleep. Even Tanya had dark circles under her eyes.

_ “How could we not be tired after yesterday,”  _ Orla grumbled in Kish’s head.

_ “Yeah but Bryn doesn’t know that,”  _ said Kish.

_ “He might figure it out,”  _ said Taruto.  _ “It doesn’t take a genius to see the resemblance between our regular forms and our Kyaldian forms.” _

Kish had to admit Taruto was right. It wasn’t like they looked that much different transformed.

“We should get to school or we’re going to be late,” said Mairead. “Come on.”

Bryn sighed.

“Why do I get the feeling I’m being left out?” he said.

“I’ve got the exact same feeling,” said Kokoro.

Taruto and Tanya left the group to go to their own school while the other headed on to the high school.

Kish and Mairead headed down the hall to dimensional studies.

“Looks like we’re the first ones here,” said Kish.

“Ah, Fallinor-san. Nesbitt-san. You’re early.”

Erinda was sitting at the front desk, wings glittering in the sun.

“Quite the show you put on yesterday Fallinor-san,” she said winking.

“Oh. Yeah,” said Kish.

He had almost forgotten that Erinda was part of the group that knew about the Kyaldians.

“I never see you at Leoti’s house,” he said. “Not even when she’s holding a meeting. Where do you go?”

“Oh, here and there,” said Erinda, smiling. “I like to keep Leoti up to date on other things that are going on.”

Kish wasn’t entirely sure what that meant, but he let it go because a shy-looking water spirit came into the room with a question for Erinda.

The rest of the morning went by in a blur. Then at lunch, things started happening.

“Hey Chloe!” someone shouted past him as he stood in the lunch line. “Did you watch T.V. yesterday?”

“Totally!” another girl shouted back. “That was amazing!!”

_ I wonder what they’re talking about,  _ Kish thought.

Two boys in front of him were arguing.

“It’s all just a stunt to make everyone feel safer,” one said.

“Are you kidding? Not even special effects can make something look that real!”

“Everyone’s terrified right now. The government is trying to calm us down.”

“I’m telling you, this was the real thing!”

Behind him, two girls were talking excitedly.

“Did you catch any of it?”

“The whole thing!”

“Lucky! I just got the end of it!”

“I heard they’re going to replay it tonight plus they’re getting interviews from the witnesses!”

“I totally have to see that!”

Kish still couldn’t figure out what everyone was talking about when he got to the table.

“Have you heard what everyone’s talking about?” Orla hissed.

“I heard a bunch of people being overexcited about something but I couldn’t figure out what,” said Kish.

Orla rolled her eyes.

“Listen!” she said.

Kish glanced at some of the other tables. Everyone seemed to be talking about the same thing.

“Were you watching television yesterday?”

“Totally awesome!”

“Much better than the cartoons they usually have on.”

“Do you think it was real?’

“Of course it wasn’t.”

“It was too!!”

“The silver one was really pretty.”

“That little girl in blue? Totally the cutest thing ever!”

“What about that guy in white? Wasn’t he hot?”

And suddenly Kish knew what they were talking about. He flushed at the last comment and stared at his plate.

“What are you blushing about?” asked Bryn , sitting down next to him. “Did Mairead finally ask you out?”

“No!” said Kish and Mairead at the same time, both of them blushing.

“Darn, I thought that there was still hope for you two,” said Kendra, grinning.

_ “Kendra did you hear?”  _ Kish asked.

_ “Yeah. Everyone’s talking about us.” _

_ “Some people don’t think we’re real,” _ Orla said irritably.

_ “I think I made a huge mess,”  _ said Kish.

_ “I was the one who told you to say something,”  _ Orla said.  _ “So its partially my fault.” _

They broke the connection. Kish sighed and tried to tune out all of the conversation around him.

“Hey Kish. Did you watch T.V. yesterday?” asked Bryn casually.

Too casually.

“Uh, no,” said Kish. “I was doing homework.”

“Mm-hm,” said Bryn. “What about you Kendra?”

“Nope,” said Kendra. “I was fencing with Tam.”

Tam was Kendra’s combat trainer; an elf from the Four Lands.

“So nobody at this table watched T.V. yesterday?” said Bryn.

“I did,” said Rikuto. “Kokoro did too.”

Kokoro nodded.

Kendra seemed to get annoyed by her boyfriend’s suspicions. Before Kish noticed she had moved she had catapulted a spoonful of spaghetti in his face.

“I hate it when you avoid saying what you’re trying to say,” she said. “Just come out with whatever it you’re thinking.”

Bryn picked the spaghetti out of his hair.

“Okay. I think you guys are the Kyaldians,” he said. “It doesn’t take a genius to see the similarities.”

The three Kyaldians glanced at each other, then came to a wordless agreement.

“We are the Kyaldians, Bryn,” said Kish.

Bryn broke into a grin.

“Finally! I just wanted to hear somebody say it.”

Kish blinked.

“You don’t think it’s weird?” he asked.

“Course not,” said Bryn. “It’s awesome!”

“It’s just better being in the loop than out of it,” said Rikuto, winking.

Bryn ruffled Kish’s hair.

“I just like to know when my best friend is a superhero saving the world,” he said.

“Don’t forget, we’re your friends,” said Kokoro, smiling.

“And friends stick together, even when their other friends are out battling mutant monsters,” said Rikuto.

“Thanks guys,” said Kish.

Kendra sighed.

“Bryn, don’t ever try to find out secrets in a roundabout way like that again,” she said. “Or I’ll be forced to shoot the chili sauce at you next.”

“Ouch,” said Bryn, grinning. “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

Suddenly the ground shook, throwing food and drinks to the ground and making a huge mess. People started screaming and shouting. Kish’s Eversphere turned red and flashed in and out with heat.

“What is that?” said Bryn.

Leoti ran over to them.

“We have trouble,” she said. “Kolora is doing something outside the city.”

“Doing what, exactly?” asked Kish.

“She planted giant kirema trees and they’re shaking the ground, not to mention they’re poisoning the air,” said Leoti. 

She turned to Bryn, Rikuto and Kokoro.

“Bryn, Rikuto, Kokoro,” she said. “Get everyone outside; this building might collapse!”

Bryn winked.

“You can count on us,” he said.

The three ran to the other groups and instantly started herding them outside.

“I’ll find Taruto and Tanya at their school,” said Leoti. “Kish, Orla, Kendra, you go ahead. Mairead, you come with me. I won’t be able to contact Kish from far away and I want to stay in contact from the tree house.”

Mairead nodded.

“Kish and I will keep an open connection,” she said.

Kish nodded.

“Let’s do this!” he said.

“Kyalda Moon!”

“Kyalda Shadow!”

“Kyalda Wind!”

“METAMORPHOSIS!”

The teleported outside the walls of the city. Five giant oak trees stood in a perfect circle, surrounding a sixth tree directly in the center. Kish could instantly tell that the air was polluted. Tanya and Taruto appeared next to them.

“Leoti told us,” said Taruto.

“It’s harder to breath,” Kish said.

“I can tell,” said Tanya.

“Those trees are huge!” said Taruto.

“Gawk later,” said Orla. “We have to get rid of them.”

“Right,” said Kish.

Meav and Pai were already there. Meav was kneeling at the base of one tree, furred hand on the bark. She was murmuring under her breath rapidly. A few seconds later she stood up and swore in a language Kish had never heard before.

“D’Arvit,” she said, hissing angrily. “It’s not working!”

Pai turned to the trees, fan in hand. Lighting shot at the closet tree. There was a huge explosion and Kish was sure the tree had been destroyed. But then the smoke cleared and the tree was still there.

“Great Blue,” Pai swore.

The Kyaldians ran over to them.

“What’s the situation?” Kish asked.

“The poison in the air is rising too rapidly,” said Meav. “If it keeps up at this rate then all life within a three hundred miles radius will be wiped out.”

“WHAT?”

“I’d say you have about…”

Meav paused, thinking about it. Erinda appeared.

“Maybe ten minutes before it reaches an unalterable state,” Erinda finished.

“Let’s split up,” said Kish. “We’ll try and get the first five all at once.”

The others nodded and they ran in different directions. Kish sprinted for one of the farther trees, bringing up his sais.

He skidded to a stop in front of one of the huge oaks.

“Ribbon—”

Black fire struck Kish’s hands, making him drop his sais. They fell to the ground and vanished. He whirled, calling his sais up again and searching for Kolora. He couldn’t see her.

“I don’t have time for this Kolora!” he shouted.

“I know,” her voice replied. “That’s why I’m doing it.”

Kish decided to ignore her and focus on the tree. He raised his sais and got ready to strike.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” said Kolora.

“I’m sure you wouldn’t,” Kish said.

“If you attack that tree, your precious little girlfriend’s gonna die.”

Kish whirled. Kolora was standing behind him. She was holding Mairead tightly, a thin blade pressed against her neck.

“Put her down Kolora!” Kish shouted.

“Put your weapons down,” said Kolora.

“Kish, don’t listen to her!” Mairead shouted. “Destroy that tree!”

—How did she catch you—

—I was stupid, Kish. I didn’t pay attention and Leoti had her back to me—

—Don’t worry, I’ll find a way to save you—

—Just destroy the tree Kish! It doesn’t matter what happens to me—

—Yes it does!—

“Put her down Kolora!” said Kish.

“Drop your sais,” Kolora countered.

“Don’t you dare drop those Kish!” said Mairead.

“Shut up,” Kolora said, increasing the pressure on the blade.

A thin line of blood bloomed on Mairead’s neck. Kish froze.

“Put them down,” Kolora said. “And I’ll put her down.”

Kish stood there, breathing heavily. How many minutes had it been? Were they past the line where they could stop the poison? Had the others destroyed their trees?

“Put them down Windy,” Kolora hissed.

Mairead’s eyes were wide and terrified. And Kish knew he couldn’t lose her.

His sais fell from his hands and clattered to the ground.

“There’s a good boy,” Kolora said. 

She shoved Mairead to the side and shot black fire at Kish. Kish slammed against the tree. Vines shot from around it and bound him to the tree.

“Kish!” Mairead screamed.

“Shut up,” said Kolora.

She hit Mairead with the black fire. Mairead screamed. The attack threw her out of Kish’s line of vision.

“MAIREAD!!”

“You shut up too, Windy,” said Kolora.

The vines tightened and Kish gasped for breath.

“Let me go.”

“No,” said Kolora. “That would be no fun at all.”

Kish pulled against the vines again.

“So, now that you can’t do anything,” said Kolora. “I can decide how I want to get rid of you.”

A strange feeling came over Kish. A sort of darkness was covering his eyes—but he was completely conscious. A light appeared at the end of the darkness. Inside the light was the blurred form of a girl. He thought he heard her talking. He caught a name—Kish—and her angry tone. There was a flash of light and Kish got the impression of pink and cat ears. The picture changed and he saw the Blue Nymph. 

Wait a minute; it wasn’t the Blue Nymph—the hair was too short and pulled into a ponytail. Suddenly the pictures were gone and the vines holding him to the tree fell away. Someone caught him as he stumbled forward.

He looked up and saw Blue Nymph.

“You came!” said Kish.

She smiled slightly.

“You again,” said Kolora. “Why do you always interfere?”

Blue Nymph turned. Kolora charged her recklessly. Blue Nymph fluidly pulled her sword from nowhere and blocked the blow easily. It was like she knew all of Kolora’s attacks—before Kolora even knew them!

“Kish!” 

Kish looked up. Orla, Taruto and Kendra all ran over to him.

“Are you okay?” asked Orla.

“Yeah,” said Kish. “Where’s Tanya?”

Orla looked around.

“She was here a second ago,” she said.

“We can’t destroy the trees,” said Kendra. “There’s a block around them.”

“No!” said Kish.

“We have to find Tanya!” said Taruto.

Suddenly Kish saw her. She was standing in front of the giant tree in the center.

“Tanya!” Kish shouted.

Tanya didn’t answer. Kish ran over to her with the others.

“Tanya?”

Tanya seemed to be hearing something else entirely.

“It’s calling me,” she whispered.

“What?”

Kish had never seen Tanya’s face so serious.

“Tanya?” said Taruto. “Hey, Synoch to Tanya.”

Tanya didn’t answer. She started walking towards the tree.

“It’s there,” she said softly.

“Tanya wait!” Orla shouted.

“What’s wrong with her?” asked Taruto.

“Is Kolora doing something?” asked Kendra.

“She’s too busy,” said Kish. “I don’t know what—”

Suddenly the tree erupted into white light. Kish closed his eyes against the flare that nearly blinded him. When he opened them again, Tanya was floating at the top of the tree. A bubble like thing was floating in front of her.

“What is that?” said Kish.

Tanya reached out and grabbed the glowing bubble. It grew into a long staff topped with two wings that framed a center base. The bubble set itself in the base and turned into a crystal. Tanya smiled.

“Ribbon…”

Bubbles flew from the staff.

“Kyalda Drops!”

Pale blue bubbles swirled from the tip of the staff, swirling into the air like rain. When the bubbles touched the trees, they popped and blue energy spread from them.

“What’s it doing?” said Orla.

“It’s turning the trees…to crystal,” said Kendra.

“Whoa,” said Taruto.

The trees had changed completely to crystal. The leaves chimed softly in the breeze like wind chimes. The trunks glowed softly, reflecting the setting sun off of their now blue bark.

“This is amazing!” said Kish. “What was that stuff?”

“It’s Kyalda,” said Meav, coming up behind them. “Also known as Miracle Water, Aoi Kiseki and Mew Aqua.”

“Kyalda?” said Kish.

“It’s an ancient power,” said Meav. “One of the few powers to survive unaltered from Old Earth.”

“But what does it do?” Kish asked.

Meav shrugged.

“It changes,” she said. “I’ve studied it for years, and I discovered that it pretty much does whatever it can do through the person who finds it.”

“I get it,” said Orla.

Everyone looked at her.

“Tanya is Kyalda Crystal,” she said. “She can reflect things like crystal and create crystal shields. The Kyalda came out through the only way it could through Tanya—by turning things to crystal.”

Tanya landed, still clutching the staff.

“I did it!” she said, running over to them. “I saved the day!!”

Kendra smiled and scooped Tanya up into a hug.

“You go Tanya!” she said.

“That was awesome!” said Taruto.

“I’ve never seen so much power,” said Orla.

“Aren’t the bubbles pretty?” said Tanya.

The blue bubbles were still floating around; bursting occasionally with rainbow sparks. The staff in Tanya’s hand glowed and shrank into a tiny blue key-like charm.

“Well, we should head back now,” said Meav. “Great job.”

Suddenly Kish remembered.

“Mairead!”

He ran off toward the tree. Where was she? He hadn’t seen where she went—

“Kish! I’m over here!”

Kish darted off toward the voice. Mairead was behind the tree, pushing herself up by using the trunk.

“I thought I sprained my ankle,” she said. “But it wasn’t anything serious.”

She blinked.

“Are you okay? You’re breathing really hard.”

Kish was breathing heavily. He had been scared—no, he had been terrified that Mairead was dead. He sank to his knees.

“I was so worried,” he murmured.

“Kish?” Mairead said.

“It’s all my fault you got involved in this,” he said. “If it wasn’t for me, Kolora would leave you alone.”

“Kish, it’s okay,” said Mairead. “I’m alright—”

“Yeah but what about next time!” Kish said. “And the time after that!”

He was trembling now.

“I just don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”

Mairead had stopped trying to comfort him. She looked almost—what? Shocked? Sad? Was she about to cry?

“Kish…”

She walked slowly over to him and knelt in front of him. Kish tried to keep the tears from falling. The terror of losing Mairead was still coursing through him. The very thought of her being gone was still fresh in his mind.

“Kish…”

Kish looked up. Mairead put one hand on his shoulder. She leaned in and kissed him gently on the lips. Kish froze for a second, then kissed her back. It felt good—no more than good, it felt right. Kish could feel Mairead’s body close to his; feel her heartbeat going faster than normal.

They held there for a long time, neither knowing how long the kiss lasted. It could have been seconds, it could have been hours.

Then suddenly, Mairead broke away. They stared at each other for a minute.

“I’m sorry,” said Mairead.

She stood up and ran. Kish still sat on the ground, wondering what had just happened.


	11. Power of Love - Mairead is Targeted

“Kish? Wake up call!”

Kish blinked and looked up at Bryn.

“Hey, is there a reason that Mairead isn’t here today?” he asked. “And you, you’re totally spacing out!”

“It’s nothing,” said Kish.

But it was everything.

_ Mairead put one hand on his shoulder. She leaned in and kissed him gently on the lips. Kish froze for a second, then kissed her back. It felt good—no more than good, it felt right. Kish could feel Mairead’s body close to his; feel her heartbeat going faster than normal… _

Bryn smacked a hand against the table.

“You’re doing it again,” he said. “Seriously, do you know where Mairead is?”

“I heard she called in sick,” said Orla.

“Mairead’s never sick,” said Kendra.

“She wouldn’t lie to get out of school,” said Kokoro. “She’s too studious.”

“Unless she was trying to avoid something or someone,” said Kendra.

Kish didn’t say anything. He could still feel her kiss. Why had she run away afterward? Why did he feel so weird about it now?

_ We’re best friends,  _ he thought numbly.

He stared down at his food.

_ But then why are we changing? _

He looked around the lunchroom, hoping to see Mairead.

_ I want to see you Mairead. _

_ I love you. _

* * *

The hallway was silent. Everyone had gone home for the day. Everyone, that is, except for Kish. He glanced out of the classroom and looked both ways.

“It really is empty,” he said.

He had hoped Mairead was here somewhere. He sighed and stepped out into the hallway.

“Kish?”

He turned around. Mairead was standing in the hallway.

“Mairead.”

They watched each other, neither sure of what to say.

“Kish I have to tell you something,” said Mairead.

“I have to tell you something,” said Kish at the same time.

They both stopped.

“You first,” they said at the same time.

They stopped again, both of them blushing. Kish didn’t know what to say anymore. They hadn’t seen each other since their little freak out, and now… How did he really feel about her now?

Suddenly black fire burst out of a classroom door. Mairead screamed, the fire searing past her.

“MAIREAD!!”

The fire condensed into tight ropes and grabbed Mairead, pulling her into the classroom. Kish ran after her into the classroom.

“KYALDA WIND METAMOPHOSES!”

Kish transformed and charged into the classroom.

“Kolora! Put her down!”

“You made it just in time for the show,” said Kolora.

“Why are you doing this!” Kish shouted.

“No particular reason. I just want to make you suffer before you die.”

Kish gritted his teeth.

“Leave Mairead out of this!” Kish shouted.

“It’s more fun attacking people who don’t fight back,” said Kolora. “Now shut up and watch your girlfriend slowly be burned to death.”

“NO!”

A wall of fire came up around Mairead, unconscious on the ground. Kish froze. He couldn’t use his powers or the fire would get bigger.

“Leave her alone!” Kish shouted.

“Mairead!” Kish shouted. “Mairead wake up!”

Kolora appeared in front of him and grabbed his chin.

“You really love her don’t you?” she said. “You’re such a fool.”

Kish slapped her hand.

“Stop it!” he said.

“No,” said Kolora.

The fire behind Kolora lowered slightly as her concentration wavered. Kish darted past her and jumped over the flaming wall.

“Windy, come back!” Kolora shouted.

“Mairead!”

The fire was closing in around them. Kish stood close to Mairead, trying to think. He had to get them out of here! He could feel the teleportation blocks around the school. There was no way to escape that way.

“Give it up Windy and let her die,” said Kolora.

An image hit Kish suddenly.

_ He saw the girl in pink lying on the ground, unmoving. Her hand rested in the hand of a boy. He sat up. _

_ “Ichigo, it’s time to wake up,” he said. _

_ He picked her up and her head fell back limply. _

_ Suddenly the image changed and Kish saw the four other Kyaldians lying on the ground, unmoving and not breathing. _

“NOOO!”

_ Mairead was lying before him, dead and lifeless. _

“NOOO!”

White light burst up around him.

“I won’t let you!” he shouted.

Kolora jumped, fear in her eyes.

“I won’t let you take away the people I love!” Kish screamed.

The light intensified and the whole world whited out.

When Kish woke up, Mairead was staring into his face with huge eyes.

“Kish!”

She scooped him into a hug.

“Mairead!! Not breathing!”

“Oh, I’m sorry!”

She pulled away. They stared at each other for a while.

“Thank you for saving me again,” Mairead said, avoiding meeting Kish’s eyes.

“Of course I saved you,” said Kish. “I—”

He stopped. Their eyes met, and just as quickly they looked away again.

_ What’s going on? _

* * *

Kolora sat in the between world.

“How could that boy have so much power?” she muttered.

_ “NOOO!” _

_ White light burst up around Kish. _

_ “I won’t let you! I won’t let you take away the people I love!” _

_ The light intensified, pushing outwards. The black fire around him disintegrated. The light surged toward Kolora, pushing her away and back into the between dimension…  _

Kolora bared her fangs in frustration. She had been this close to destroying that little brat. How had he managed to get that strong?

“I’ll get them,” she said. “I’ll get them both.”

Suddenly the dimension turned blue and a bubble appeared in the center. Kolora turned to it.

“I’m disappointed,” said an echoing voice.

“Of course you are,” said Kolora. “Seriously, Toya, you should be a bit more patient.”

Kolora smirked when she felt Deep Blue’s displeasure. He hated it when she called him Toya.

“Just because we’re siblings doesn’t mean you can continue to act like this,” Deep Blue hissed.

Kolora rolled her eyes.

“Yes, I understand you’re more powerful than I am,” said Kolora. “I am the oldest, Toya.”

“If you keep up this attitude,” said Deep Blue. “I’m afraid I’ll have to replace you for a while.”

Kolora glared at the bubble.

“You cannot be serious,” said Kolora. “Ren and Yuuto are idiots.”

“Did I hear someone call my name?”

The dimension returned to normal and Kolora turned. A Cyniclon-like person with long brown hair in a ponytail was leaning against a pillar, eyes closed.

“Ren!” Kolora spat.

Ren opened his eyes and revealed the swamp green color of his eyes.

“Yes, it’s me,” he said. “It’s also the one that’s going to succeed where you couldn’t.”

Kolora glared at him.

“You’re just too aggressive,” said another voice.

Kolora glanced to the side. A short Cyniclon-like person with gray hair and beetle black eyes was standing there holding a dagger in his hand. He didn’t meet Kolora’s glare because he was too busy tossing the dagger from hand to hand.

“Seriously, you should calm down sometimes Kolora.”

Kolora snarled.

“Push down that banshee half,” said Ren. “You don’t have a choice in the matter. We’re taking over.”

Kolora glared at them both.


	12. Bubbles Again - The Power of Kyalda

“It’s been pretty quiet this week, hasn’t it?” said Orla.

Kish nodded.

“Nothing from Kolora in seven days. I think she’s hit a record,” he said.

Taruto laughed. For some reason, Tanya looked serious. Which couldn’t be good.

“Does anyone else have a bad feeling?” she asked.

“No,” said Kendra. “What kind of bad feeling?”

“Well,” said Tanya. “I—I had a nightmare last night.”

Taruto turned to her.

“Is that why you were freaking out in your sleep last night?” he asked.

“Yeah,” said Tanya.

“What was the dream about?” asked Orla.

“Well,” said Tanya, biting her lip. “Everything was dark and I saw Mairead, standing there. I think she was scared.”

Kish glanced at Mairead, who glanced at him. They both looked away again, blushing.

“Then what?”

“Then there was another girl with strawberry blond hair,” said Tanya. “She was standing with Leoti and talking. Then I saw two Cyniclons I’ve never seen before.”

“What did they look like?” asked Kendra.

“One was a little taller than Leoti with swamp green eyes and long light brown hair in a ponytail,” said Tanya. “The other was about my height with gray hair and black eyes.”

She blinked.

“And Kolora was there. She didn’t look very happy when she saw the other two Cyniclons.”

“Hmm,” said Kendra. “Well, let’s keep it in mind. Anyway, wasn’t Leoti expecting us about now?”

“Right,” said Kish. “Any ideas on what she’s calling us about?”

“None,” said Orla.

Kish climbed up the tree house ladder and pulled himself onto the platform. After the others came up he knocked on the door. Leoti opened it instantly.

“You’re late,” she said.

“Sorry,” said Kish, rolling his eyes.

“I don’t think ten seconds counts as late,” said Orla, peering at the sundial next to the door.

Leoti sighed.

“Well come in,” she said.

Kish walked in with the others.

“Hello,” said Anzu, jumping down from the table.

“Hey Anzu!” said Tanya.

She scooped him up and hugged him. Anzu sweat dropped.

“So what’s up?” asked Kish.

Meav slipped into the room in a cat form and changed to normal. She immediately began to lick her furred wrist.

“We found a Kyalda signal a few minutes ago,” she said.

“You did?” said Orla. “Where?”

“That’s the thing,” said Leoti. “It keeps moving and changing direction.”

“Maybe something’s carrying it?” asked Taruto.

“Highly unlikely,” said Meav. “Kyalda can kill someone too close to it if they don’t have special powers.”

Kish stared up at the ceiling. 

“So then it might be moving by itself?” he said.

“I don’t think it can do that,” said Leoti. 

She glanced at Meav. Meav stopped licking herself and stretched.

“Not possible,” she said. “Kyalda is an inanimate power, it can’t move by itself.”

“So basically we have to wait until an answer presents itself,” Kish sighed.

There was a loud knock on the door. Everyone froze.

“Are you expecting anyone?” Meav hissed.

Leoti shook her head. She reached under the table and slid out a sword.

There was another knock, followed by a short rhythm knocked out on the wood. Then silence. Then there was a frustrated sigh.

“Oh come on Leoti! I know you’re in there!”

Leoti’s eyes widened.

“That voice…” she said. “I haven’t heard that voice since—”

The door blasted open with a puff of pink smoke. There was coughing on the other side.

“I keep forgetting I’m allergic to this stuff,” the voice said.

Someone stepped through the smoke. It was a girl. She looked about the same age as Leoti but a few inches taller. Her hair was long and strawberry blond and her eyes were bright green. She was wearing baggy pants and pink t-shirt.

“Chantilly!” said Leoti.

She jumped to her feet and ran over to the girl. Chantilly grinned and hugged Leoti.

“Great to see you too!” she said. “It’s been like five months.”

She glanced at the room.

“Oh, did I walk in on something?” she said, looking at Kish and the others.

Leoti pulled out of the hug.

Kish turned to Tanya. Her face had paled. Then this  _ was _ the girl from Tanya’s dream.

“Don’t worry about it,” said Leoti. “Where have you been?”

“Here and there,” said Chantilly, waving her hand vaguely. “What about you? I haven’t seen you since that huge fight—”

Chantilly stopped when Leoti gave her a look. Kish blinked. What was it that Leoti didn’t want them to hear? Suddenly he noticed the red heart jewel hanging around Chantilly’s neck. And it had the same feeling as an Eversphere. Kish caught Orla’s eyes. So they had both felt the same thing.

Chantilly was still jabbering away about different things. Suddenly there was a huge explosion outside. Chantilly stopped and walked quickly to the window.

“D’Arvit, I thought I lost them!” she said.

“What? Lost who?” said Leoti. “Oh no, don’t tell me you’re being chased again?”

“You know me so well,” said Chantilly.

Leoti smacked her forehead. Kish walked over to the door and opened it, peering outside. Tanya was right next to him.

“Kish,” she said. “I think it’s them.”

Kish turned to her.

“Them?” he said. “As in the people from your dream?”

“Yeah,” she said. 

She touched the key charm around her neck. Maybe the Kyalda was making Tanya feel things differently? The key seemed to have replaced the Eversphere…

“DUCK!” shouted Chantilly.

She knocked Kish out of the way just as a bolt of green lightning hit the platform in front of them.

_ Wait a minute! Kolora doesn’t use green energy! _

His thoughts were cut off by Chantilly’s yelp. Kish rolled onto his feet and saw Chantilly lifted in the air. Something pink was slowly detaching itself from her…

A pink ball shot from Chantilly and she collapsed to the ground. Her skin had turned gray and she wasn’t breathing. The heart jewel she had been wearing clattered to the ground.

“Chantilly!” Leoti shouted.

She ran outside.

“No! They’ve taken her spirit!” said Leoti.

Kish straightened.

“Where are you Kolora!” he shouted. “Stop hiding!”

“So you’re the Kyaldians!”

Kish blinked. He didn’t know that voice. He turned and looked up at the roof of the house. A short Cyniclon with gray hair and black eyes sat on the roof, idly tossing a dagger from hand to hand. Another Cyniclon was standing behind him, with long light brown hair tied back in a ponytail and swamp green eyes. They were the people from Tanya’s dream.

“Hey Ren, which one is the one that Kolora has a crush on?” the gray haired one said.

Kish flushed.

“What the heck are you talking about?” said Orla.

“No too hard to figure out, one’s too young and the rest are girls,” said Ren.

He was holding Chantilly’s spirit in his hand.

“Give that spirit back!” Tanya said angrily.

“Feisty, are we?” said Ren.

“Who do you think you are?” said Taruto.

The gray haired Cyniclon stood up.

“You can call me Yuuto for the short time that you’re going to be alive,” he said.

Kish barely noticed the dagger speeding toward Taruto.

“Watch out!” said Tanya.

She grabbed the dagger out of the air with an impossible speed.

“Whoa, how’d I do that?” she said.

“No idea,” said Taruto, eyes wide. “But I’m really, really, really glad you did.”

“Well, looks like we’re going to do this the hard way,” said Ren. 

He held up Chantilly’s spirit and an Infuser appeared in his other hand.

“FUSION!”

There was a flash of light and when Kish opened his eyes there was the strangest kirema anima that Kish had ever seen. It was almost human but it had huge butterfly wings and bug-like eyes.

“D’Arvit, the anima has taken over Chantilly’s fairy half!” said Leoti.

“Chantilly is half fairy?” said Tanya.

“No time for questions right now!” said Orla.

“Right,” said Kish. “Kyalda Wind!”

“Kyalda Vine!”

“Kyalda Crystal!”

“Kyalda Moon!”

“Kyalda Shadow!”

“METAMORPHOSIS!”

Kish took off into the sky. The anima followed him, beating dust into the air.

“Oh no, not again,” said Kish.

The dust blew past him and he coughed. The poison was worse than the one at the trees! He fell from the sky and he probably would have died in impact if someone hadn’t caught him.

“Blue Nymph!” he said.

Blue Nymph landed gently on the ground and set Kish down.

“Thanks!” he said.

Blue Nymph smiled and turned.

“Huh? Hey wait!”

Blue Nymph was gone. Kish blinked.

“Ribbon Vine Strike!”

“Ribbon Crystal Counter!”

“Ribbon Moonshine Surge!”

“Ribbon Shadow Assault!”

Kish shook out of his daze and ran back to join the battle. It didn’t look like it was going too well.

“Ribbon Windstorm!” Kish shouted.

He blew the poison away from the others.

“Thanks,” said Tanya.

“You’re welcome,” said Kish. “Ribbon Windstorm!”

The butterfly was blown back. It shook its head and blew poison back at them. Kish fell to his knees, coughing.

“I expected better from you guys,” said Yuuto. “Considering how much trouble Kolora’s been having.”

He laughed. Kish coughed. Kendra suddenly opened her eyes and stood up shakily.

“Kendra?” said Kish.

“I can feel it!” she said.

Kish stood up.

“Kyalda?”

“Yeah,” said Kendra.

“We’ll cover for you,” said Kish.

Kendra gave him a worried look.

“Go!” said Kish.

Kendra spread her great black wings and took off into the sky.

“Where do you think you’re going?” said Ren.

Kish zoomed at Ren and knocked him from the sky.

“I won’t let you get in her way!” he said.

“Fine, I’ll kill you first,” said Ren.

He pulled out two short swords and Kish jerked his sais up to block the attack. Kish jabbed toward Ren and Ren blocked it easily.

_ He’s good! _

Kish blocked the next strike and twisted the sword out of Ren’s hand. Ren came in instantly with his other sword, swiping close to Kish’s cheek. Kish pulled back and stumbled. Ren came in again, hitting Kish in the stomach with the pommel of his sword. Kish fell back. Ren raised his sword above his head for the final strike.

Kish wrenched his sais up and sent a whirlwind crashing into Ren. Ren flew back and skidded across the ground. He stood up quickly, wincing. Then he grinned.

“You’re pretty good,” he said. “But not good enough.”

Something cold and hard grazed Kish’s shoulder. He winced and fell to his knees. It shouldn’t hurt this much, it was barely a scratch. Yuuto landed in front of him.

“Guess you’re not immune to poison,” said Yuuto. “I heard the original Kyaldians were.”

Kish gasped for breath.

“Well, should I kill him now or wait for the poison to do it?” said Ren.

Wow. Déjàvu. (It reminds him of when Kolora was debating on how to kill him...) 

Kish tried to stand up.

“Hey, what’s that girl doing up there?” said Ren.

Kish whirled. Kendra was on the platform and the heart jewel was floating in front of her.

“Kyalda Rod!” she shouted.

A long purple staff like Tanya’s appeared in her hand.

“Ribbon…”

Bubbles swirled around her.

“Kyalda Drops!”

The bubbles shot out and burst into rainbow sparkles, destroying the poison. Shadows rose up from their places and consumed the kirema anima. Its shriek was abruptly cut off, and when the shadows pulled away they left behind only the spirit and the Infuser. Anzu jumped up from nowhere and ate the Infuser. Leoti ran over and grabbed the spirit.

“Dang!” said Yuuto.

He and Ren vanished. Kish stood up, the pain completely gone.

“You did it!” said Tanya.

She jumped on Kendra and gave her a hug. Kendra laughed and playfully pushed Tanya back.

“Guess you’re not the only one who can save the day,” she teased.

The purple staff shrank and turned into a small key charm like Tanya’s. Kendra glowed and transformed back to normal. Kish and the others transformed to normal as well.

Leoti knelt down next to Chantilly and let go of the little pink light. It glowed and shot into Chantilly. Her skin turned back to a creamy color. She opened her eyes.

“My head hurts,” she said.

Leoti rolled her eyes.

“You always say that after something happens,” she said.

Chantilly grinned.

“What can I say? I haven’t changed much.”

Leoti smiled. Kish blinked.

“I think I’m still confused,” he said.

“Don’t worry,” said Chantilly. “When Leoti’s around, I’m  _ always _ confused.”

Kish grinned. Tanya giggled. Before they knew it, everyone was laughing their heads off.

Far away in a dimension not many can find, a shadow shifted.


	13. Crystal Notes - Taruto’s Secret Revealed!

“Come on Tanya!”

“I’m coming, ototo-san!”

Taruto skidded to a stop and whirled on Tanya.

“For the last time, stop calling me that!”

Tanya grinned at him.

“But I am the older one,” she said.

“By twenty seconds,” Taruto grumbled.

“Come on Taruto, I want to meet your teacher,” said Tanya. “Can we get going now?”

“Fine,” said Taruto.

“Yay!” 

Tanya skipped after Taruto down the street. Only moments later they reached the Western Gate. The twins passed through and continued down a wide dirt trail. After walking out of sight of the gate, Taruto turned them onto a thinner deer trail.

“Are we going the right way?” said Tanya.

“Yeah,” said Taruto. “Takehiro-sensei doesn’t like living around others.”

“Why not?” asked Tanya.

“I think it’s because he’s only half Cyniclon,” said Taruto. “He’s also half elf, so maybe he feels like he doesn’t really fit in.”

“I can’t wait to meet him.”

Her stomach rumbled.

“Maybe I should have brought a snack,” she said.

“I told you to bring something,” said Taruto. “Takehiro-sensei stinks at cooking.”

They came off of the trail and into a small clearing. At the very center, a small traditional style house seemed to melt into the ground. Vine grew up all the sides, giving it the appearance of a bush or some other natural feature of the forest. Taruto walked up to the door and knocked.

“Sensei! It’s Taruto!”

There was no answer.

“Is he home?” Tanya asked.

“Should be,” said Taruto.

He pushed the door open and stepped inside.

“Sensei? You here?”

Smoke wafted into the front hall.

“Is there a fire?” said Tanya, eyes wide.

Taruto rolled his eyes and walked further into the house. He reached the kitchen and looked inside. A tall man wearing black stood in front of an stove, absentmindedly stirring a pot while holding a book.

“Sensei!” said Taruto. “You’re burning the food again!”

The man blinked and looked up, saw Taruto and smiled.

“Oh, you’re here early, Taruto-san,” he said.

“Move out of the way,” Taruto grumbled, grabbing the smoking pot of the stove.

“I was just reading this book and I must have forgotten about the food,” said Takehiro.

“Why am I not surprised?” said Taruto.

Tanya inhaled the smoke and coughed. Takehiro looked up at her.

“You must be Taruto-san’s twin sister,” he said.

“I’m his older sister,” said Tanya, smiling.

“Really?” said Takehiro.

“She’s only twenty seconds older!” said Taruto heatedly.

There was a soft chime in the next room, followed by the sound of a clock pealing.

“Well, we should start your lesson, Taruto-san.”

“Yeah,” said Taruto.

Tanya followed the pair into the next room. This room was completely empty. Tanya stared around. Wasn’t this where the clock sound had come from?

Takehiro clapped his hands together. The center of the room rippled. The ripple swirled and something appeared in the center of the room. Three rows of crystal balls hovered in the air where they hadn’t been before.

“Cool!” said Tanya. “What is it?”

“It’s an instrument called a Spherical,” said Takehiro. “It harnesses and focuses magic through music.”

“That awesome!” said Tanya. “Can you play it Taruto?”

“Not that well,” said Taruto.

“Taruto-san is getting better,” said Takehiro. “Why don’t you get started, Taruto-san?”

Tanya watched intently. She wanted to see her brother play this Spherical thing. Suddenly her Kyalda Key warmed at her chest.

_ Watch out! _

Something was shouting in her head. She could feel something moving towards the house. Something really big!

“Watch out!”

Tanya knocked into Taruto and they rolled across the floor. The ceiling suddenly caved in, debris falling all around them.

“In the name of Blue—”

A giant scorpion tail dislodged itself from the floor. Eight multifaceted eyes stared through the hole in the ceiling. The kirema anima screeched.

“Why are they always so big?” Tanya said.

“Taruto-san! Tanya-san! Get out of here!” Takehiro shouted.

“Don’t worry, Takehiro-sama!” said Tanya. “We deal with this all the time!”

“Let’s get this thing taken care of!” said Taruto.

“KYALDA VINE!”

“KYALDA CRYSTAL!”

“METAMORPHOSES!”

The twins transformed and confronted the kirema anima.

“Ribbon Vine Strike!”

Vines surged from the ground to bind the giant scorpion. Another vine surged up from behind the keep its poisonous tail from moving.

“Ribbon Crystal Counter!” Tanya said.

Blue energy surged around the kirema anima and sealed it in crystal.

“Yeah!”

The twins gave each other high fives.

“That was pretty easy,” said Taruto.

Suddenly Takehiro knocked them out of the way. Crystal shards fell all around them. The scorpion was free.

The poisonous barb darted down, lodging itself in the wood of the floor where the trio had been only moments before.

“Oh no you don’t!” Tanya shouted. “Ribbon Crystal Copy!”

A crystal poison barb grew on the end of Tanya’s scepter. She threw her weapon at the scorpion. The crystal barb stuck right into the scorpion’s eyes. It screeched and swiped a massive claw at Tanya. Tanya leapt back—just a bit too slowly. The claw hit her in the side, piercing through her costume and drawing blood.

Pain flooded through Tanya like fire. Only a few seconds later she smashed into a wall. The claw kept applying pressure, pushing her further into the wall. Tanya’s stomach lurched and she nearly threw up from pain.

“Put my sister down!” Taruto shouted. “Ribbon—”

The anima’s tail swung around and knocked Taruto away. He hit the wall with a crunch.

“Ototo-san!” 

Tanya tried to shout, but all that came out was a whisper. Her lungs wouldn’t fill up. She was starting to feel light-headed from a lack of air. One of her ribs cracked and a new wave of pain crashed into her.

“Crystal Scepter,” she whispered.

Her weapon sparked into existence and flickered away. It wasn’t working.

_ Am I dying? _

She could hear crystalline notes playing all around her. Was this what happened when you died?

_ “Seishou Séance!” _

A high clear voice joined the sound of the notes. Tanya couldn’t hear the words; she wasn’t even sure if there were words. But the song flowed around her like water, soothing the pain. The claw shuddered and moved away, letting Tanya drop towards the ground. But the song turned almost solid, catching her and setting her gently down. The pain in her ribs vanished, stolen away from the crystalline voice.

Tanya couldn’t explain why, but the song reminded her of something. She just couldn’t put her finger on it.

Tanya stood up, looking around for Taruto and Takehiro. The kirema anima still stood above the house. But now it was thrashing about wildly, as thought it couldn’t stand the sound. Taruto was sitting on the ground, staring at the kirema anima.

“Ototo-san!” Tanya shouted.

She ran over to him.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“I think so,” he said. “But who’s spellsinging?”

“Spellsinging?”

At the exact same time, they both looked towards the center of the room. Takehiro was playing the Spherical, creating the crystalline notes that Tanya had heard at first. Next to him, a glowing silver girl was singing the wordless song.

Tanya had never seen anyone so pretty. She was tall and slender, with short silver hair. Two thin braids fell from somewhere within her hair, falling across her bare shoulders. The dress she wore fell to her knees, shimmering as silver as the aura around her. Her hands were clasped together and her eyes were closed as she sang.

The kirema anima screeched and defused. The girl stopped singing. She looked across the room and her eyes fell upon Taruto and Tanya staring back at her. A small smile played across her face, filled with meaning that Tanya couldn’t understand.

Then she just disappeared. Tanya hadn’t blinked, but the girl had been there one moment and gone the next. Takehiro stopped playing and the Spherical vanished.

“What in the world was that?” said Taruto.

“That,” said Takehiro, “was one of the many uses of the Spherical. It’s known as the Seishou Séance technique, or more commonly spirit summoning.”

“That was a spirit?” said Tanya, eyes widening.

Takehiro nodded.

“It was a moon wraith. They’re especially good at spellsinging, so I thought I’d try to call one.”

He glanced into a corner.

“It’s getting late. “Taruto-san, we’ll have to postpone your lesson to tomorrow.”

“I really wasn’t in the mood to practice after that, anyway,” said Taruto. “Let’s go Tanya.”

“Bye Takehiro-sama!” said Tanya. “It was nice to meet you!”

“It was good to meet you as well, Kyalda Crystal-sama,” said Takehiro.

Both Taruto and Tanya stopped and looked at him. It had totally slipped their minds that Takehiro now knew about them being Kyaldians.

Takehiro smiled.

“Don’t worry you two. Your secret is safe with me.”

He winked.

“Thank you Takehiro-sama!” said Tanya.

“I’ll be here tomorrow,” said Taruto. “Don’t try to cook anything.”

Takehiro laughed.


	14. Stolen Kiss - A Forbidden Love

Orla stared out at the forest as the sun made patterns across the leaves, slowly setting into a golden horizon. It had been a while since she had come out onto the terrace. The sun caressed her face and the wind played with the pale pink flower in the hanging basket. But Orla could not enjoy the beauty around her. Her mind was trapped on the memory of the night before.

_ “You’ll never guess what happened today!” said Tanya. _

_ Everyone looked up. _

_ “What’s going on Tanya?” asked Leoti. “You and Taruto are late.” _

_ “We got lost in the woods after Taruto’s lesson,” said Tanya, ignoring her brother who was nudging her with his elbow. _

_ “What lesson?” _

_ “Never mind that, we got attacked by a kirema anima!” said Tanya. “And Takehiro-sama called up a spirit to drive it off!” _

_ “Tanya,” Taruto muttered. “That was supposed to be a secret.” _

_ “What kind of spirit?” said Kish. “Like a sylph or something?” _

_ Tanya shook her head, eyes bright with excitement. _

_ “Takehiro-sama said it was a moon wraith!” said Tanya. “She was really pretty, with this short silver hair that had two braids coming out of it and a short silver dress—” _

_ “Two layers,” Orla said suddenly. _

_ Tanya stopped. _

_ “What?” she said. _

_ “The skirt,” said Orla. “Did it have two layers with points on the ends?” _

_ Pai shifted in the corner, his eyes fixing on Orla. He knew why she was asking. And he was just as anxious to hear the answer. _

_ Tanya’s brow furrowed as she thought. _

_ “I didn’t see that—” _

_ “Yeah,” said Taruto. “Yeah, it was.” _

_ “Really?” _

_ “Yeah, I noticed, even if you didn’t.” _

_ “Hey!” _

_ The shock surged through Orla. She glanced back at her father. He met her gaze and knowing passed between them. Perhaps Orla’s mother was not as gone as they had both believed… _

Orla sighed, turning the possibility around in her mind. What if her mother was alive? Sure she appeared whenever Orla transformed into a tree, but that was just the magic of the moonlight that allowed her to walk among the living. At least, that’s what Orla’s mother had said. But according the Tanya, this Takehiro had summoned Hailie—in broad daylight and with the ability to use her powers.

Orla had resolved to ask her mother about it the next time Orla transform into a tree—but that wasn’t for another month. Orla didn’t think she could wait that long.

“What are you thinking about Moon-chan?”

Orla instinctively fell to one knee and grabbed the knife in her boot.

“Who’s there?” she said.

“Who do you think?”

The voice was familiar…

A person appeared, leaning casually against the banister.

“You’re Ren!” said Orla. “You stole Chantilly’s spirit!”

“See, you do know who I am,” he said, grinning.

“What are you doing here?” Orla snapped. “Don’t make me hurt you.”

“Well aren’t we feisty this morning?”

Orla didn’t dare make a move toward the open door. He might attack if she moved.

“Are you going to answer my questions or not?” Orla said.

She held the knife out threateningly.

“Just wanted to say hello,” said Ren.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Before Orla knew what was happening, Ren had grabbed her wrist and twisted it. The knife clattered to the ground and Ren pushed Orla up against the railing, grabbing her other wrist when she tried to punch him.

“Let. Go. Of. Me,” Orla said.

Ren’s arrogant smile was gone.

“I like you,” he said. “You’re not like the other Cyniclons.”

“What that heck are you talking about?” Orla said.

“Your aura is different,” said Ren, as though that was an explanation.

“Let go.”

Ren didn’t let go. Orla didn’t struggle. What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she bring herself to move? And why was her heart beating so fast?

“You know, you’re cute when you’re angry,” he said. “But it’s even better when you’re calm.”

Orla didn’t know what to say to that. She couldn’t decide whether she wanted to kill him or just run away.

“What do you want?” said Orla.

“Isn’t it obvious yet?” said Ren.

Before Orla could even think, Ren was kissing her. It wasn’t a totally forceful, perverted kiss like she had expected. It was gentle.

Even so, Orla didn’t like it. She struggled again, trying to escape. Someone knocked into Ren and hit him against the railing. Orla scrambled to catch herself before she fell and saw her father, holding the old sword that had hung in their living room.

“Stay away from my daughter,” Pai said. “Orla, come here.”

Orla ran to her father’s side and he pushed her protectively behind him.

“Dang. I thought you were gone,” said Ren. “You invaded our privacy.”

“Don’t come near my daughter or I’ll kill you, yokai.”

“Oh, so you already know what I am?”

Ren smirked.

“See you later, Moon-chan,” he said.

“Stay away from me pervert,” Orla growled.

Ren shrugged and vanished. Orla was still trembling from shock. Pai dropped the sword and pulled Orla into a hug.

“Are you all right?” he asked softly.

Orla nodded, words not coming to her.

_ I hate you Ren! _

* * *

“Are you sure she’s home?” Mairead asked.

“She said she would be,” said Kish.

“Well go ahead and knock already!” said Tanya.

Kish, Mairead and Tanya stood outside Orla’s house. The Kyaldians had made plans to go down to the boardwalk this afternoon but Orla hadn’t shown up. So Kish, Mairead and Tanya had gone to see what was up.

Kish knocked. Silence.

“Orla?” he called. “Orla are you here?”

He tried the door knob and the door swung open silently.

“Well, it’s open,” he said.

Mairead took a step inside ahead of Kish.

“Orla-san?” she called.

There was a crash at the end of the hall. The trio looked at each other and dashed down the hall.

“Orla!” Kish shouted. “Are you all right—”

They made it to the end of the hall and Kish ducked under a flying chair.

“Um, Orla?”

The room was a mess. Orla was in the process of kicking a table onto its side.

“Are you okay?” Mairead said.

“Yes!” said Orla. “I am completely—”

**_Crash!_ **

“—totally—”

**_Crash!_ **

“—FINE!”

A table leg snapped.

“It sure doesn’t look like it,” said Kish.

(Starfireelf15: *sweatdrop*)

“Well I’m FINE!”

Orla grabbed a clock and hurled it across the room.

“Where’s Pai?” Kish asked.

“Outside,” Orla growled.

“Okay...”

“Orla, are you coming down to the boardwalk with us today?” Mairead asked. “It's really okay if you don't want to.”

“Fine,” said Orla. “I'll come.”

She marched past them and out the door. Kish, Tanya and Mairead looked at each other.

“Do you get the feeling something happened?” Kish asked.

“Yep,” said Tanya.

“Maybe we should just not say anything about it,” said Mairead.

“Good idea,” said Kish.

“She's probably bite our heads off if we tried to ask her about it,” said Tanya. “Literally.”

The trio nodded and followed Orla out the door.

* * *

“Fresh crepes! Buy your fresh crepes here!”

“Walnuts, chestnuts and blacknuts! Get them here while they're in season!”

The calls of the booth tenders grated against Orla's mind. Every shout made her head throb.

“There's a lot of merchants here today,” Kish said.

Kendra nodded.

“Yeah, I guess the caravans must have come in ahead of the snow this year,” said Kendra.

Orla wasn’t paying attention. Her emotions boiled as they moved down the boardwalk and wove through the crowds. She couldn’t even begin to count the different kinds of anger she was feeling. At the smallest footfall, she saw Ren’s smug smile in her mind and she had to force herself not to hit something.

“Orla?” Mairead asked. “Are you totally sure that you’re feeling all right?”

Orla nodded jerkily, knowing that if she tried to speak she would blow up. Mairead glanced at the other Kyaldians, waiting for the pair in front of the food tent. Mairead waved at Kish, signaling them to go on ahead. That taken care of, Mairead turned back to the steaming Orla.

“Listen, I can tell that something’s wrong,” she said. “If you want to talk about it, I want to let you know that I’m her for you. I’m ready to listen.”

The swirling thoughts in Orla’s mind quieted—at least a little bit.

“Thanks, Mairead,” said Orla. “But I’m not sure I want to talk about it. At least not yet.”

She scuffed a foot across the ground.

“Do you mind leaving me alone for a while? I need to think.”

Mairead nodded. She patted Orla on the shoulder.

“I’ll let the others know that you’ll catch up later.”

Orla watched Mairead disappear into the food tent before striking out on her own. She wandered between the tents with no real purpose in her mind, not really paying much attention to anything. It would have been great to slip into an alleyway like she could in the city to escape from the hustle and noise. Unfortunately, even behind the tents there were swarms of people.

Before she knew it, Orla was standing at the very edge of the boardwalk, staring over the harbor. The rhythmic crash of the waters against the shore soothed Orla, washing away her stress. She stopped to listen for a while watching the afternoon sunlight glinting off the top of the waves.

“The ocean is beautiful,” she murmured.

“Not as beautiful as you, Moon-chan.”

The spell of the waves shattered and Orla whipped around to see Ren grinning at her.

“Why do you look so shocked?” he asked. “Aren’t you glad to see me?”

“I’d rather spend an eternity blind if it meant I didn’t have to see your face,” Orla snarled.

“Feisty as ever,” said Ren.

“I’ll get feistier if you don’t clear out, pervert!”

Ren vanished and for a split second Orla thought he was gone. But suddenly he hugged her from behind, pinning her arms to her sides.

“Let go!” Orla shouted.

“Come on, Orla. Why don’t you just give in and admit you like me?”

“I’d rather kiss a Tortall Spidren!”

Ren let go suddenly. Orla turned around to face him, preparing to go for the knife in her boot. To her surprise, there was a mischievous smile on his face.

“That could be arranged,” he said, snapping his fingers.

The air ripped open, blinding Orla with a sudden flash of sickly green light. Blinking rapidly to clear her vision she saw what Ren had just done—a spidren was standing on the boardwalk.

Orla’s skin crawled. Spidren were huge spider like creatures with the head of a human and sharp, silver teeth. This was not good.

“Care to take back that comment of yours?” Ren said, floating lazily in the air.

“Shut up!”

People had started to noticed there was a spidren on the boardwalk. Screams pierced the air as everyone tried to run away at once. Orla could see the spidren watching the struggling crowd, trying to decide where to strike.

_ I have to do something before people get hurt! _

“Kyalda Moon! META—”

The spidren moved forward much faster than she had anticipated. It seized her in its massive forelegs, squeezing the air right out of her. Her pendant clattered to the ground, useless.

“Nice little treat,” the spidren cackled.

Orla couldn’t have screamed even if she wanted to. Where were the others? They must have noticed the chaos by now!

“If you ask nicely, I might decide to save you,” said Ren. “You might want to think about it since help won’t be coming. Yuuto made sure of that.”

Orla’s last hope drained away. She was going to die.

“You die too slow, treat!” the spidren said.

It lifted one of its other legs, a long poisonous looking claw sliding out like a cat’s talon. Just before the claw pierced her arm Orla thought she saw Ren’s face with an emotion that didn’t look quite right. It looked like fear.

Then she drowned in a pain-filled blackness.

* * *

“Orla!”

“Orla-oneechan!”

“Come on, breathe!”

“Don’t give up!”

“Orla!”

Orla’s eyes opened. Her arm was throbbing painfully, but she took it as a sign that she was still alive. Her vision was blurred, so she checked her other senses. She could still hear the crash of the waves and smell the salt water. Someone was holding her. She tried to flex her fingers. The right arm responded, but her left arm took a few tries. Something cold rested on her chest. Her Eversphere? No, she could feel that pulsing elsewhere.

Her vision cleared and she saw her father above her. He was the one holding her.

“Dad…”

The fear on Pai’s face vanished to be replaced with relief and exhaustion.

“Don’t talk,” he said. “You lost a lot of blood.”

Orla twisted her head to focus on her blood drenched arm. Green tinted the red blood. That must have been the poison. Where there should have been a puncture wound there was only a round scar.

“The spidren,” Orla rasped.

“Dead.”

It was Kish’s voice.

“When we got her you were unconscious. The spidren had a stab wound right on the back.”

“We figured you did it,” said Mairead. “Before you blacked out.”

“I blacked out when it poisoned me,” Orla said slowly. “I didn’t kill it. It nearly killed me.”

She could tell how confused everyone was. She was still confused herself.

“But oneechan,” said Tanya. “You’re not poisoned. “It was all gone when we got here.”

What?

Orla tried to flex her fingers again. They responded almost instantly. Her arm had even stopped throbbing. Orla sat up carefully. The world stayed in place. There was no headache.

The cold object she had felt before slid down like a necklace as she sat up. Under the pretense of rubbing her neck, she felt the back of her neck to find a thin cold chain—definitely not the black fabric strap that held her Eversphere.

“Are you okay?” asked Kendra.

“Strangely enough, yes,” said Orla.

She looked around to find the spidren. Just as Kish had said, the monster was dead; its green blood stained the wood of the dock. The blood seemed to have come from a wound on its back—a wound that looked as though it was inflicted by Orla's own double swords.

A thought tickled her brain.

_ Ren has double swords too. _

She pushed the thought away angrily.

“Can you stand?” her father asked.

“Let's find out,” said Orla.

Pai helped her up.

“Will you be able to walk?” asked Taruto.

Surprisingly enough, she could.

* * *

Orla was sitting on her terrace again, watching the natural ballet being performed by the sunlight across the leaves dancing in the wind. The glimmer of fresh protection spells lingered on the edge of her vision. Her father had renewed them after Ren's appearance, vowing that Ren would not surprise her alone again.

Orla sighed, fingering the locket in her hands—the locket she had found after her near-death experience. She held it up, letting it dangle and glint silver in the setting sunlight. In moments, the sun had vanished completely behind the horizon, leaving only the dim light of the half moon. The circular locket glinted once, then half of it darkened to match the phase of the moon.

Orla placed the moon locket back in her hand and clicked it open. A faint, haunting melody chimed in the darkness. Orla stared at the inside, carved with intricate symbols. In the left side, a piece of paper had been jammed into the place where pictures go. Orla had already read the note. She didn't need to read it again to remember what it had said.

_ I love you, Moon-chan.  _

_ —Ren  _

She went back to studying the runes carved on the inside. She didn't know all of them, but her Ancient Languages class had taught her something. They were ancient symbols of protection and healing—symbols that held power. Symbols that had saved Orla's life from the spidren's poison.

Orla closed it softly, bringing the song inside to a halt. She had put the pieces together. She knew what had happened after she blacked out. Ren had stabbed the spidren and put the locket on her to save her life.

But why?

Orla clutched the locket in a fist, preparing to hurl it into the woods. But the more she tried to throw it, the tighter she clutched it. Slowly, she drew her hand back. Fumbling with the clasp, she put it back on.

“This doesn't change anything,” she said. “Ren and I are enemies. I hate him.”

But even and the words passed her lips, she knew she was lying.


	15. Buried Love - Tanya's Boyfriend?

“Yay! It's still warm today!”

Tanya ran around in circles in her front lawn.

“The sun is shining and the birds are singing and the grass is green and it still feels like SUMMER!”

Taruto came through the doorway and rolled his eyes at Tanya.

“We still have to go to school,” he said. “So it doesn't feel like summer to me.”

“You're such a stick-in-the-mud,” Tanya pouted. “Race you to the trail head!”

Tanya sped on ahead.

“No fair, you got a head start, and you're a faster runner than me!” Taruto shouted and he tried to catch up.

Tanya skidded to a stop at the trail head.

“And Tanya is the winner!” she announced.

Taruto jogged up to her and stopped, panting.

“Give me a chance once in a while, why don't you?” he said.

“That's no fun!” said Tanya. “Plus, you need to exercise.”

“Oh shut up,” Taruto grumbled.

They headed down the path. Tanya constantly dove off the path to weave around trees before appearing farther away in front of Taruto to freak him out. Taruto ignored her, checking the skies for Illishar or one of the other creatures he had befriended.

“Yo, Taruto, Tanya!”

Tanya stopped orbiting Taruto to see Kendra.

“Kendra-oneesama!” she said, running over to hug her.

“Full of exuberance as ever,” Kendra laughed.

“You don't have to live with her,” Taruto grumbled.

Kish laughed.

“You're always getting on each others nerves, aren't you?” he said.

“No, Tanya's always getting on MY nerves.”

Rikuto checked his watch.

“We'd better hurry up, unless we want to be late to class,” he said.

“Right,” said Mairead. “Come on everybody!”

The group continued down the trail. Tanya breathed in the early fall air. Even though the sun beat down warmly like summer, she could detect a subtle chill lacing the breeze. A few yellow and red leaves rustled among the green, like flowers in a sea of green. Tanya let her mind wander to the night before and the startling news that Leoti had revealed.

_ “So Leoti, what fun stuff do you want to talk to us about now?” asked Chantilly. _

_ Leoti rolled her eyes. _

_ “It's not exactly 'fun stuff' we're talking about,” she said. _

_ “Exactly,” said Chantilly. “That's why it's fun stuff.” _

_ “Fun stuff aside,” said Kish, talking over Leoti's retort. “What did you want to tell us?” _

_ Leoti took a breath to compose herself. _

_ “All right,” she said. “Now you all know that Ren and Yuuto have been harder to defeat than Kolora.” _

_ “Why don't you tell us something we don't know?” said Orla. _

_ “I'm getting to it,” said Leoti. “We found out that Ren and Yuuto are not Cyniclons.” _

_ “Well Kolora's a half-banshee, right?” said Taruto. “So they're half something?” _

_ Leoti shook her head. _

_ “They're not even one-fourth Cyniclon,” she said. “They're a type of spirit known in common tongue as demons.” _

_ Silence filled the room. Leoti took advantage of her now attentive audience. _

_ “Ren and Yuuto are able to create kirema anima—a power that Cyniclons don't have,” she continued. “Also, Ren was able to open a vortex between dimensions and summon a spidren—another yokai ability.” _

_ Tanya raised her hand, waving it around in the air. _

_ “Yes, Tanya?” asked Leoti. _

_ “But aren't demons supposed to be really creepy and not look like normal creatures?” she said. “That's what my mom told me.” _

_ “Descriptions of ancient Fayrie creatures have been distorted over the centuries,” said Leoti. “Demons are formless in their first few years of existence, having the ability to shapeshift. After these years, they choose the form that they'll stay in for the rest of their lives.” _

_ “So Ren and Yuuto chose Cyniclon forms?” said Kish. _

_ Leoti nodded. _

_ “If they're demons, how do we beat them?” Kendra asked. _

_ Leoti shrugged. _

_ “It was hard enough finding enough of Fayrie literature to determine that they were demons,” Leoti said. “I haven't found anything about their weaknesses yet.” _

“Hey, Synoch to Tanya,” said Taruto's voice.

Tanya blinked.

“We turn here,” he said, pointing to the road.

“Oh, yeah!” said Tanya, turning down the right road.

She turned to wave at the others.

“See you after school!” Tanya called before racing on ahead.

The twins wove through the crowd going into the middle school. Tanya waved goodbye to Taruto before racing upstairs to her locker.

“Crystal Mimic,” she said.

Her locker clicked open, working with a spell that reacted only to her voice and the correct password—a personal achievement of her own after someone had stuffed Crab-Eating Slugs in her locker.

Tanya skipped down the hall, her book bag swinging.

“Hey, Tanya. Get run over by a bus?”

A skinny twelve-year-old elf sneered at her uniform, covered in leaves and twigs from her detours along the trail.

“Yep, and you got eaten, digested and regurgitated by a wyvern as always, Konan,” said Tanya cheerfully.

“Hey—”

“Oh, and Shauna told me to tell you that it's never going to happen, so stop wasting her time,” she said. “That was your daily report from the Matchmaker!”

She ran on before Konan could get another word in. Two minutes later, she darted into her classroom the second before the bell rang.

“Cutting it close, aren't we?” her teacher said, raising an eyebrow.

“Just like always, so that what you should expect!” said Tanya, taking her seat.

A few kids behind her snickered. She turned in her seat and stuck her tongue out at them—which was actually rather frightening because she had just finished off a lollipop that made your tongue look like a snake's for two hours. (A gift from a friend that had studied wizardry in England for a few years.)

“All right class, today we are—”

**_CRASH!_ **

The whole school trembled as though an earthquake had just passed through.

“All students to the Atrium at the center of the school!” the loudspeaker blared. “All students to the Atrium!”

Tanya's first thought was an earthquake. Her second thought was a kirema anima. In the confusion of kids trying to get through the door and to the Atrium, Tanya picked the lock on the window and jumped through, darting towards the center of the quakes.

Taruto appeared next to her from another window and they ran on.

_ “Any ideas what it is?”  _ Tanya asked through their mind connection.

_ “More poisonous trees?” _

_ “I don't think Kolora would try THAT stunt again after I took care of them,”  _ said Tanya.

_ “I don't think she'd repeat herself either, but I don't think it was because of you,”  _ said Taruto.

_ “Hmph.” _

The twins skidded to a stop just before they tumbled into a dark hole. Tanya knelt at the edge and peered down. There appeared to be no bottom.

“Hello!” she called down.

Taruto knocked her on the head.

“Idiot! Don't tell them we're here!”

Tanya ignored him, listening to her voice bounced off of a faraway bottom.

“It sounds like it's probably about seventy feet down,” she said. “With a huge chamber underneath.”

Taruto sighed.

“Only one thing to do then,” he said.

“Yay! Let's go down into the dark creepy hole of holeness!!!” said Tanya, punching her fist in the air.

Taruto sighed. (*mushroom sigh*)

“Yes, all that doom and gloom stuff,” he said. “Let's contact the others first.”

“You can do that, I'm headed down!” Tanya said, taking off and floating down through the hole.

“Tanya! Wait, we don't know what's down there—”

Tanya wasn't listening. She shivered at the closeness of the tunnel walls and the darkness as she got farther down, but she persevered. Taruto would be along in a few seconds anyway.

Only moments later, the tunnel walls widened and opened out into a giant chamber lit by sickly green fire. Tanya flew over to the flames, studying them. They gave her a nauseous feeling after staring at it for too long, so she looked away to find the source of the problem instead.

A gasp escaped her lungs. The chamber was HUGE! She could barely see the ceiling, and the far end was completely covered in shadows, seemingly moved endlessly. Even the green flames farther off seemed to vanish without giving any light. Tanya bit her lip. Taruto hadn't followed her yet. Should she wait for him before moving forward?

“This is boring, Ren,” a voice complained. 

Tanya recognized it—it was Yuuto.

“Why is this important?” he continued. “Digging a hole isn't going to defeat the Kyaldians.”

“ _ Au contraire,  _ my friend,” Ren's voice said.

“Whatever that means,” Yuuto grumbled.

“This tunnel is right underneath the school of two of the Kyaldians,” Ren said, obviously ignoring his younger partner. “When the tunnel gets big enough, everything above will have less support.”

“And?”

“And then the school collapses,” Ren said. “Those Kyaldians won't know what hit them.”

Tanya held her gasp this time, afraid she would be heard. They could kill hundreds of people!

“Ren?”

Tanya held her breath to hear better.

“Hm?” said Ren.

“What about...what about everybody else in the school?”

“What about them?”

“Well...our fight isn't with them. If we collapse the school, everyone else will die.”

What? Was Yuuto actually having seconds thoughts about being evil? Tanya strained her ears to listen.

“You having second thoughts about our contract, Yuuto?”

“No, not really!” said Yuuto quickly. “I just...it doesn't feel right.”

Pause.

“It doesn't really matter what happens to anyone else,” said Ren. “Just so long as we do what we're told to.”

“I guess so,” Yuuto mumbled. “Never mind what I said.”

“Never minding,” said Ren, seeming unworried.

Tanya took a deep breath. There was no waiting for her little brother now. She zoomed into the darkness, transforming as she did.

“Hey!” she shouted, zooming into the pool of light around Ren, Yuuto and a giant eight-eyed mole thingy.

Ren and Yuuto turned. The mole kept digging into the side of the wall, paying attention to nothing else.

“Well, it seems one Kyaldian managed to find out our plans,” said Ren, smirking.

Twin sabers swirled into existence in his hands.

“Makes you easier to get rid of at least,” he said.

“Not a chance, freakazoid!” said Tanya. “Crystal Scepter!”

Her weapon appeared. Ren raised his sabers, obviously preparing for a strike. Suddenly Yuuto stuck a hand out, blocking Ren. Ren glanced at his younger partner.

“Ren, I'll handle this,” Yuuto said. “You keep going with the plan.”

Ren shrugged and his swords vanished.

“All right,” he said. “I'll take our venture elsewhere.”

He vanished into rippling air, taking the mole with him.

“Wait!” Tanya shouted.

She was about to teleport after him when a dagger whipped past her ear, narrowly missing its target. She whirled on Yuuto, who already had another dagger in his hand.

“I could have hit you that time,” he said. “I just wanted you to pay attention.”

“Shut up, chibi baka!”

(Yuuto: *pulsing vein in forehead*)

“Don't call me chibi!” he said.

“It's true, you are,” said Tanya.

Yuuto hurled the second dagger at Tanya. Tanya jerked her scepter up, creating a crystal shield just in time.

“You think you're tough, don't you,” Yuuto said.

Tanya glared at him.

“Keep it up, chibi. The other Kyaldians are right on my tail.”

Shock appeared on Yuuto face for a split-second, vanishing just as suddenly under his mask of indifference.

“Well when they get here, you'll be dead already,” he said. “All it'll take is the smallest scratch from my knife.”

“Shut up,” Tanya said. “Ribbon...Crystal COUNTER!”

The blue energy blasted like wildfire from the crystal tip. Energy burst through Tanya. Her anger at Yuuto and Ren for even thinking about hurting so many people surged through her, making the crystal fire even stronger. All she could think about was the magic pulsing through her body—and then it was gone.

Drained of energy, the last thing Tanya knew before she blacked out was that the sky was falling.

* * *

When Tanya woke up, the first thing to come to her was the pain. Burning, throbbing, fiery pain all over her chest and legs. It hurt to breathe. Actually, it was nearly impossible to breathe. Tanya could see nothing. Everything was completely dark no matter how much she blinked. For a terrifying moment, she thought she was blind. Then she realized that all the green torches had gone out. The second realization was that she was hurting so much because she was buried up to her chest in dirt.

She tried to wiggle her legs. They didn't respond. She tried her arms. Nothing. Her fingers moved, but very slightly. She tried teleporting, but she was buried so tightly that it wouldn't work. She could feel the beginning of panic in her stomach.

_ Okay, I have to calm down, _ she thought.  _ I have to try and contact the others. _

She reached out to her Eversphere with her mind. Magic sparked in her mind than fizzled out. She was completely drained of power. Panic was rushing through her now. If she had collapsed part of the chamber, than the opening was probably sealed off. If Ren and Yuuto were smart, and she knew they were, they would have put up teleportation blocks that preventing anyone from coming in. That meant there was no help coming anytime soon. And if help didn't come soon, she might be dead from a lack of oxygen. Or from internal bleeding. Or Yuuto would come and finish her off. Or all of them at once.

Tanya wasn't thinking straight. Her thoughts jumbled together with no real purpose. She couldn't think of anything that wasn't horrible. She was terrified. She didn't want to die.

_ Umf! _

Tanya stopped thinking. Had she just heard someone?

“Oh dark take it all,” someone swore. “This darn stuff won't MOVE!”

Tanya still couldn't think straight. She knew the voice was familiar but she didn't know who it was.

“This'll take forever to dig through,” the person grumbled. “And then she'll be dead. Oh sure she brought the tunnel down on herself, but did I try to stop it? No. Did I try to convince Ren to stop with this stupid idea? No. I'm such an IDIOT!”

There was a pause in which Tanya could hear the person struggling against something.

“Fine! We'll do this another way,” the person said.

He took a deep breath.

“ _ Terra, son!” _

The pressure on Tanya's chest lifted slightly.

_ “Terra, son!” _

The dirt lifted completely off of Tanya's chest, freeing her. She didn't move, afraid that she had broken something that would get worse if she moved. She could hear her rescuer breathing heavily.

“Well, that wasn't fun,” he grumbled.

_ Snap, snap. _

A small flame lit in the darkness, illuminating the face of her rescuer.

It was Yuuto.

* * *

Yuuto cupped the flame in his hand, gently tossing it up to hover and spread light around the much smaller chamber. He glanced up.

“Well if my senses are correct, the school stayed up,” he said. “So much for Ren's plan.”

Secretly he was glad it hadn't worked. He wasn't sure if he could take having that many deaths on his conscience. That Tanya girl was still lying on the ground where she had been before, trembling slightly. Yuuto noticed that she wasn't transformed anymore. Ren would have named this an opportunity to fulfill the contract, but Yuuto pushed the thought away.

“You can get up now,” said Yuuto. “You didn't break anything, luckily.”

Tanya slowly sat up, tentatively testing out her legs before trying to stand up.

“However, you did manage to bring the entire roof down on us and sealed the opening,” Yuuto grumbled. “So you're going to be stuck down here for a really long time.”

Tanya was studying the pile of dirt off the side that Yuuto had moved off of her. Then she turned around to stare at him.

“You saved me,” she said.

Yuuto avoided her gaze, wondering why his face was heating up. (Yuuto doesn't know what blushing is. ^^)

“So?” he said. “What's it to you?”

Suddenly Tanya leapt on him, hugging him tightly.

“Thank you!” she said. “Yuuto you're really a good guy aren't you!”

“Hey, get off me, you stupid Cyniclon!” Yuuto said, shoving her off of him.

Tanya broke away, grinning at him.

“You act tough, but you're really just a sweet person, aren't you?” she said.

“Shut up,” Yuuto said.

His face felt really hot. What was his problem? Tanya was looking around at the chamber.

“I really did a number on this place,” she said. “I didn't even know I could do that.”

“Yeah, and you almost killed the both of us,” Yuuto grumbled. “Plus now you're stuck here cause Ren put up teleportation blocks for Cyniclons. Of course, I could leave at anytime.”

Tanya turned and smiled at him. Yuuto's heart skipped a beat and he suddenly had a thought. Maybe he didn't want to leave just yet.

* * *

Taruto stomped on the collapsed hole, hoping that he could break through it.

“Dang!” he said. “Why didn't I follow her when I had the chance?”

Kish, Kendra and Orla appeared from the ripples in the air.

“We got here as quickly as we could,” said Kendra.

“Where's Ren and Yuuto?” said Orla.

“Where's Tanya?” Kish asked.

Taruto sighed.

“She went down into the hole before I had a chance to contact you,” he said. “I was going to go right after her when the whole thing collapsed!”

“Can't we teleport inside?” Orla asked.

Taruto shook his head.

“Don't you think I tried that already?” he said. “I thought about using my vines to dig, but I might make things worse.”

Kish took a breath.

“Okay, we need to think of a plan—”

“Well, well, well, the other Kyaldians have arrived!”

It was Ren's voice.

“I supposed you were trying to find a way to get to your little crystal partner, but I'm sure Yuuto's already finished her off.”

He appeared suddenly beneath a huge oak.

“Shut up!” Orla shouted.

“Yeah, you don't know Tanya,” said Taruto. “She can hold her own.”

Ren shrugged.

“All I know is that all it'll take is a single scratch,” he said. “The odds aren't her favor.”

“What do you want?” Kish said. “Are you just here to make fun of us?”

“Well that was part of it,” said Ren, “but since you were so nice as to all gather in one place—” 

He snapped his fingers. A giant eight-eyed mole-like kirema anima burst from the ground, poison dripping from its mouth.

“Let's have some fun, why don't we?” said Ren, laughing.

“In the name of Blue,” Kish swore.

* * *

Yuuto stared up at the ceiling to avoid looking at Tanya, who was sitting right next to him.

“Why aren't you afraid of me?” Yuuto said, still staring at the ceiling. “I could kill you at any moment.”

Tanya smiled.

“If you were going to kill me, you would have left me under that pile of dirt,” she said.

That was true.

“No one should have to die like that,” Yuuto said. “That's the only reason I saved you.”

Tanya just smiled. Yuuto looked away. That smile made him feel weird.

“So what are you going to do?” he asked. “You can't transform, you can't contact your friends and you can't teleport out of here.”

Tanya looked off into the darkness.

“I'm not quite sure,” she said. “But I'm not afraid, because I'm not alone.”

The ground rumbled slightly. The ground beneath them started to tremble, as though something was beneath it and trying to get out. Yuuto leapt to his feet, realizing that another of the digging kirema anima was about to emerge only seconds before it did.

The kirema anima broke free of the dirt, making the chamber rumble ominously.

“Hey!” Yuuto shouted. “Stop that! You'll bring the whole thing down on us!”

The kirema anima didn't seem to be listening. It continued to thrash about.

“Dark take it all,” Yuuto swore.

The kirema anima was totally out of his control. He heard Tanya scream. Whipping around, he saw the mole fixing on her, about to shoot its poison attack at her.

“WATCH OUT!”

Yuuto didn't know what came over him. His body was moving without his consent. He was running towards Tanya in slow motion. The mole was beginning to attack. Tanya was trying to find a way to escape. Yuuto was diving into her—and then time snapped back into a normal form.

The pair rolled across the ground, narrowly missing the poison attack. When they stopped rolling, Yuuto was on top. His face was so close to Tanya's! They stared at each other, neither one quite comprehending what was going on.

The screech of a frustrated kirema anima brought Yuuto back to his senses. He got back to his feet, facing the kirema anima.

“Creature of the Abyss! Come undone!” he shouted, slicing his hand through the air.

The anima stopped and thrashed again. It screeched—and vanished, leaving behind an infuser and a mole, which instantly ran away. Yuuto caught the Infuser and vanished it. For a moment, nothing happened while he stood there. Then Tanya jumped on him from behind.

“Yuuto-chan! You saved me again!” she said.

“Get off me!” he said. “And don't call me that!”

“Yuuto-kun?”

“Not that either!”

“Whatever you say, Yuuto-kun! ^^”

Yuuto pushed her off.

“Thank you so much!” said Tanya. “You really are a good guy!”

“Shut up!” Yuuto said.

Even he could hear the anger and frustration in his own voice. Tanya blinked and stopped smiling. Yuuto whirled on her, punching the wall behind her.

“Listen to me!” he shouted. “I couldn't even be your friend if I wanted to!”

Tanya was staring at Yuuto with wide eyes.

“I don't know why I saved you both times, but I can't do it anymore!” he said. “I have to do what I'm told to do, and that means we're enemies! Enemies, you got it?!”

Tanya still didn't say anything, just staring at him. Yuuto's hand slipped from the wall and down to his side.

“I...I can't do this...”

He could feel the tears pricking at his eyes.

“I don't...want this...”

He sank to his knees, crying silently. He felt Tanya kneel down in front of him. She touched his shoulder.

“Yuuto-kun...” she said. “What's making you so sad?”

He didn't look up at her.

“I can't...it's hard to explain,” he mumbled.

“I'm listening,” said Tanya.

And suddenly all Yuuto wanted was to tell her everything.

* * *

(Yuuto's first person POV—two years ago)

It was already dark when I came to meet Ren at the edge of Belladonna Forest.

“What's up?” I asked.

Ren grinned.

“I found us a job,” he said.

I rolled my eyes.

“You know how I feel about contracts,” I said. “I don't like feeling bound to something.”

I'm a yokai—a Fayrie creature. Fayrie creatures, things like spirits and dragons can be captured and bound to a master. Demons are different. We can be summoned but we have to agree to a contract before we can be bound.

“Don't worry about it Yuuto,” said Ren. “This one seems pretty fair.”

I glanced into the shadows to study our contractor. He was mostly in the shadows, but demons can see pretty well in the dark. I took a quick features check. Tall, male with a long blue cloak and long black hair. Icy blue eyes that glinted red in the shifting moonlight and Cyniclon ears. I checked his aura. Dark blue laced with fiery red and dark purple. Definitely a yokai, with a little bit of banshee thrown in.

“So what's the contract?” I asked, feeling a bit uncertain about this whole thing.

Ren passed me a scroll. I snorted—how old fashioned. Earthling “witches” used to give us this stuff. I scanned it. It had a lot of filler stuff, but what I got out of it was that we had to defeat a group of Cyniclons that were in the way of something the contractor wanted.

I shrugged.

“Fine,” I said.

Ren grinned.

“That's the Yuuto I know,” he said.

When I signed the contract, I forgot to read the fine print.

* * *

(Back to present)

Tanya stared at Yuuto.

“So you don't have a choice?” she said.

Yuuto shook his head.

“Isn't there a way to get rid of the contract?”

Yuuto shook his head again.

“I didn't know it was going to be like this,” he muttered. “I didn't like it at first and I hate it now. But there's no way to get out of it until you Kyaldians are out of the way.”

Tanya felt tears in her eyes—angry tears.

“I hate Deep Blue!” she said. 

Yuuto seemed startled by her sudden outburst.

“I promise Yuuto-kun,” Tanya said. “I'll find a way to break your contract!”

Yuuto stared at her. It was when the chamber started rumbling that he stopped staring.

“Let's get out of here,” he said.

He grabbed Tanya's arm and stepped out into the sunlight. He let go of her arm. They stood there staring at each other for a long time.

“I have to go,” he grumbled, turning.

“Yuuto-kun!” said Tanya.

Yuuto turned back around. Tanya kissed him on the cheek. He blushed.

“What the heck was that for?” he said.

“I promise, Yuuto-kun,” said Tanya. “I'll help you get free.”

Yuuto blinked—then he scowled.

“You won't be able to,” he said. “And we're still enemies. The next time we meet, we'll be on opposite sides.”

He vanished away, leaving Tanya behind.

“Tanya!”

Tanya turned around. The other Kyaldians were there.

“Tanya, you're okay!” said Taruto.

“Of course I am, ototo-san!” she said. “I'm much much MUCH better than fine!”

Far away in another dimension, Yuuto touched the spot where Tanya had kissed him.

“Freaky little Cyniclon girl,” he grumbled.

Then he smiled slightly, the first time in two years.

“Still, I guess she's okay,” he said. “Maybe we'll meet again—as friends.”


	16. Towering Doom - The Shadow in the Tower

“Hey where’s Mairead? She said she was coming.”

Orla checked her watch.

“Well it’s only three o’clock,” she said. “Maybe she’s running late.”

“She’s been late more often lately,” said Kendra.

She gave Kish a sidelong glance. He quickly looked away. Kendra shrugged.

“Well I guess we could split up while we’re waiting,” she said. “No point in standing around while the fall festival is going on.”

The group was at the fall festival. It was a thing that all of the city participated in.

“I want to see that book stall over there,” said Orla. “Don’t wait for me.”

She crossed the street.

“I want something to eat,” said Bryn. “Kendra let’s go over to the crepe stall.”

“Sure,” said Kendra.

Kokoro and Rikuto went over to look at some of the other stalls, leaving Kish, Taruto and Tanya behind.

“Hey, take a look at this!” said Tanya.

She pulled a poster from a wall.

“Tanya, you shouldn’t take those things down,” said Kish.

“Just look at it!” said Tanya.

Kish sighed and looked at it. It was a poster.

‘Fall Jewel Dance. Located in the gym at Kyoto Community High School. Admission free to students, $3 to non students. All are welcome.’

Kish looked up.

“What are you saying?” he said.

“Think!” said Tanya, shaking the poster. “Isn’t there someone you should be asking to this dance?”

Kish felt his face get hot.

“Tanya! Things between me and Mairead are too weird right now,” he said.

“Which is exactly why you need to invite her!” said Tanya.

“I’m not seeing your reasoning behind this,” said Kish.

Tanya sighed exaggeratedly and turned to Taruto.

“Shall I explain to him?” she said.

“You’d better,” said Taruto.

“Explain what?” asked Kish.

“All right,” said Tanya. “You and Mairead have been best friends since childhood, right?”

Kish nodded, wondering where this was going.

“When a boy and a girl are friends since childhood, the following scenario usually occurs. The two hit teenage years and things start to get awkward. They both start to like each other, but neither of them are really sure they know what’s happening or how to express it.”

“So then things get really awkward,” said Taruto. “Because neither of them realize that they’re in love and if one of them does, they’re afraid of ruining their friendship if they mention it.”

“Exactly!” said Tanya. “You and Mairead are going through the same thing right now!”

“And the best way to make it go away is to admit that you’re in love with her,” said Taruto.

Kish stared at them. The twins had somehow managed to explain every single emotion he was experiencing right now.

“Kish, if you do not call Mairead and ask her to the dance in the next five seconds, then I’m doing it for you,” said Tanya.

Kish knew Tanya meant it. He sighed.

“Okay, I’ll try,” he said.

He pulled out his cell phone and dialed. The phone started ringing. He swallowed. Why was his throat so dry all of the sudden? His hands were sweating so bad he thought he was going to drop the phone. He considered for a moment just hanging up but then he heard someone pick up on the other end.

“Hello?”

It was Mairead.

“Hi Mairead. It’s Kish.”

“Oh hi.”

She sounded suddenly awkward. Kish took a deep breath. It was now or never.

“Listen Mairead. They’re having that fall dance at the school tonight, and I was wondering if you’d—I mean I was wondering if you—”

Tanya stomped on his toe.

“Just say it!” she hissed.

He took a breath.

“I was wondering if you wanted to go with me.”

There was a short pause.

“I’d love that,” she said. “It sounds like fun!”

“Great,” said Kish, smiling.

He winked at Taruto and Tanya, who immediately gave each high fives.

“The matchmakers strike again!” said Tanya.

“I’ll pick you up at five by the square,” Kish said. “See you there.”

“See you,” said Mairead.

Kish hung up.

“Great job Kish! I knew you could do it!” said Tanya.

“You guys are really pushy sometimes, you know that?” said Kish.

* * *

Sunlight streamed through the window, lighting up the study. Dust swirled in the beam the cut through the room. The sunlight danced across the mess of books and papers, dappled by the swaying shadows of leaves just outside.

Leoti was oblivious to this natural ballet, staring at the computer screen. There just had to be some Mew Aqua around here! There just had to!

The screen didn’t change, showing a map of Kyoto. Light blinked around the screen. Leoti glanced at the sensors. They were silent. As silent as the grave.

Leoti rubbed her temples. There were too many of those grim sayings. The last thing she needed was to think about graves.

How long had it been? How long since she had been a normal girl? Had it really been fifteen years?

The light danced across the photos on her desk, showing a woman with long black hair and Hispanic features, a big grin across her face. A man stood next to her with white blond hair and a youthful face. The two of them held the hands of a young girl with long blond hair, her face bright with happiness. Leoti looked at the photo sadly.

Rachel. Cody. The only parents she had ever known. And now they were gone. Leoti closed her eyes. She could still see Rachel in her mind, the bright smile and strength in her features. Cody was a little more blurred, but she could still hear his laugh. The tears pricked at her eyes.

“You’re thinking about them, aren’t you.”

Leoti opened her eyes to see Chantilly standing in the study. It hadn’t been a question, but Leoti nodded anyway.

“It still hurts, Chantilly,” she said. “I still feel like I could have done something.”

“You couldn’t,” said Chantilly. “No one could have. You did everything you could.”

“I know,” said Leoti. “But the memories… they sting. Worse than any injury. Everyone’s gone, Chantilly. Mrs. Harris, Rachel, Cody, Hailie, Fen, Kelda. I feel so alone.”

She clenched her hands.

“Why did I survive when so many people died?” she said. “Is it so I can go on with the knowledge of what is going to happen to those three without being able to do anything about it?”

Chantilly crossed the room in two strides and pulled Leoti into a hug.

“It’s okay, Leoti,” she said. “Hailie, Fen and Kelda—I can still feel them. They’re still alive, somewhere.”

Suddenly the screen flashed. Leoti blinked and turned to look at the screen. A dot flashed across the screen, followed by words.

_ High level of energy. Unknown source. Danger. Danger. Danger… _

Leoti clicked on the dot and a picture of the radio tower appeared.

“Chantilly, I still don’t know how to work this thing,” she said. “You upgraded it, you help me.”

Chantilly stared at the screen.

“Change to Aura Sensor, Objective 0034,” she said clearly.

The screen flashed and looked normal again. But then a dark blue aura laced with fiery red and purple appeared, swirling around the tower like towering doom.

_ Towering doom,  _ Leoti thought darkly.  _ Towering doom at the radio tower. _

“Recognize the aura?” asked Chantilly.

“I think so,” Leoti said. “Chantilly. I think it’s him.”

Chantilly didn’t have to ask what that meant.

“I’ll find Meav and Pai and we’ll go look for the Kyaldians,” said Chantilly. “Meet you at the tower in…twenty minutes.”

“Find them faster if you can,” said Leoti.

_ Why did it have to be now? _

* * *

Orla drifted back over to the trio.

“Find anything?” asked Tanya.

“Yeah,” said Orla, holding up a book.

The black fabric had frayed along the edges and some of the silver embroidery of the moon and stars were wearing. However, the intricate silver clasp shone as though brand new.

“The stall keeper just gave it to me when I opened it,” she said. “Starting mumbling things about witchcraft and magic and that no one had ever been able to open it before.”

“Weird,” said Tanya.

“Yeah,” said Orla. “It’s not that hard to open. You try and see how easy it is.”

Kish took it and touched the clasp. He felt a surge of power and the clasp clicked open.

“There’s a lot of power in this book,” he said.

“Really?” said Orla.

She took it back and started leafing through it.

“Cool,” she said. “There are all kinds of stuff in here.”

“Like what?” Kish asked.

Orla seemed about to answer when Kendra ran over to them with Meav and Pai in tow.

“We have trouble at the radio tower,” said Kendra.

“What happened?” asked Kish.

“I have absolutely no idea,” said Meav. “But Chantilly seemed really insistent that something was wrong. I caught something about Leoti’s brother Toya.”

“Leoti-oneesama has a brother?” said Tanya.

“Had,” Meav corrected. “She never talks about him. Personally, I think Deep Blue killed him and she blames herself for it. She’s always blaming herself for that stuff.”

“Um…yeah…” said Pai.

Kish knew instantly that Pai knew more than he was telling. But the danger at the radio tower seemed serious and he decided he’d better ask later and not now.

“Okay, let’s go. It’s faster if we teleport.”

They teleported to the radio tower. It looked normal enough, and people were walking around nearby. He couldn’t tell anything was wrong.

Chantilly and Leoti were already there. Chantilly was working at a laptop that was balanced on a strange metal tripod that appeared to be coming from the laptop itself.

“Energy readings are skyrocketing!” said Chantilly. “Are the Kyaldians here yet?”

“You’d see them if you just looked up, Chantilly,” said Leoti.

Chantilly looked up and saw them.

“Oh. You are here. Well then, get over here and I’ll show you what’s going on.”

The Kyaldians crowded around the screen. Kish gasped. There was a swirling blue aura around the radio tower on the screen. He looked up at the real tower.

Nothing.

He looked back at the screen. That aura was still there.

“What is this?” he asked.

“Aura scanner,” said Chantilly. “Auras can’t be seen with the naked eye, but with my technology, we can see them quite easily.”

She seemed very pleased with herself.

“Okay, so what exactly are we supposed to be doing?” asked Orla.

“Right,” said Chantilly.

She zoomed in on the observatory. The aura was deeper and harder to see through here.

“This is the focal point,” she said. “We don’t know what’s up there, but the energy levels are really high. We need you guys to check it out.”

Kish thought Chantilly knew exactly what was up there. Why was everyone keeping secrets?

“All right, let’s go,” said Kish.

“Kyalda Crystal!”

“Kyalda Vine!”

“Kyalda Moon!”

“Kyalda Shadow!”

“Kyalda Wind!”

“METAMORAPHOSIS!”

“Wait!” said Chantilly.

She pulled five sets of goggles from her bag.

“You can use these to see the aura,” she said. “I condensed the aura scanners into these.”

“Thanks,” said Kish.

They all grabbed a pair and headed toward the tower. Kish could hear shocked voices as they headed into the tower.

“It’s the Kyaldians!”

“What are they doing here?”

“Is there danger?”

“They all look so young!”

They were in the elevator. Suddenly, a voice boomed in the speakers. It was Leoti.

“Everyone please evacuate the building. Energy levels are unsafe. Please evacuate in a calm orderly manner. Do not use the elevators.”

“Sure she tells us that after we’re halfway up,” said Orla.

“I don’t think she meant us,” said Tanya.

They were in the observatory. It seemed like Leoti’s evacuation request had worked. It was deathly silent and completely still.

“There’s nothing here,” said Kish. “I can’t even feel anything.”

“Let’s try Chantilly-oneesama’s goggles!” said Tanya.

She was already putting on her pair.

“Whoa!” she said.

Kish pulled on his goggles. Suddenly he could see the energy swirling around the room, black, dark blue and icy blue. It was all centering on one spot… right there!

“Do we blast it?” asked Tanya.

“It will absorb the energy,” said a voice. Chantilly’s voice.

Kish jumped.

“Oh sorry!” said Chantilly’s voice. “I forgot to tell you, I put a communicator in your goggles.”

“Wish you’d remembered,” Kish grumbled. 

“What was that about the energy?” asked Kendra.

“If you attack that point, it will just get stronger,” said Chantilly.

“So what do we do?”

“Attack the place the energy is coming from, which you’d see if you just turned around.”

Kish turned around. The energy was seeping through the walls from no particular point. But suddenly, Kish could see traces of other magic—black and green magic.

“Ren!” said Kish. “And probably Yuuto too!”

“Where are those bakas?” said Orla.

“Right up here,” said Ren’s voice.

Kish whirled. He could see Ren, but there was a sickly green aura around him laced with fiery red. A black aura swirled around Yuuto, also laced with the fiery red. Was that fiery red a sign of a yokai?

“What do you think you’re doing?” Kish snapped at the pair.

“Destroying the Kyaldians. What does it look like?” said Ren.

“Yuuto?” said Tanya.

Kish looked sharply at his younger friend. She was looking up at Yuuto with a strange look on her face. Yuuto looked away. Kish thought he saw Yuuto mouth 'enemies.'

Suddenly kirema anima appeared all over the room.

“In the name of Blue,” said Orla.

“You might want to be careful about using that name,” said Ren, laughing.

“Shut up,” Kish said.

“Ribbon Crystal Counter!” Tanya shouted.

Her attack hit an anima and defused it—but two more came to take its place.

“There are so many of them,” said Orla.

“This is not good,” said Taruto.

“Try fighting your way of this one Kyaldians,” said Yuuto. For some strange reason, he said it so halfheartedly. 

“Shut up, baka!” Orla shouted. 

She zipped into the air and attacked Ren with her swords. He had not expected this and only barely managed to dodge. He pulled out his own pair of swords and the two started fighting. 

“Ribbon Windstorm!” Kish shouted.

His wind took out two kirema anima, but more still came.

“This is hopeless!” said Kish.

And in the corners of his eyes, he could see the energy forming a shape…

“Now! Attack the source of the energy now!” Chantilly screamed in his ear.

“But you said not to!”

“Do it now Kish!” she shouted.

Kish whirled.

“Ribbon Windstorm!” he shouted.

The wind hit the shape and blew the energy apart. It instantly started reforming again, but much more slowly.

“Duck!” Chantilly said.

Kish ducked under a kirema anima paw. He whirled and sent wind at the anima, defusing it instantly. Another anima surged up behind him, shooting a blast of water from its fish like head.

“Ribbon Windstorm!” Kish shouted.

This was going to be endless!

“Ribbon…Crystal Copy!” shouted Tanya. “Water Shot!”

Water shot from Tanya’s scepter and defused an anima.

“Nice shot,” said Kish.

“Thanks,” said Tanya. “Water Shot!”

“Vine Strike!” Taruto shouted.

An anima got squeezed by Taruto’s vines and defused.

“Moonshine Surge!”

The silver fire defeated another anima.

“Shadow Assault!”

Shadows consumed yet another anima. Kish didn’t know how long they were fighting, but it felt like forever. And no matter what they did, more anima seemed to appear. Would this ever end?

Suddenly Kish bumped up against the others from behind.

“We’re trapped,” said Orla, panting. “Moonshine Surge!”

kirema anima were surrounding them on all sides. One fell back from Orla’s fire, but it was instantly replaced.

“Guess you couldn’t handle it all,” said Yuuto.

“Shut up!” said Kish.

“I hate to admit it,” said Orla, blocking an attack. “But he’s right. We can’t handle this much.”

“We have to try,” said Kish. “Ribbon Windstorm!”

“We need help,” said Kendra. “Ribbon Shadow Assault!”

“But there isn’t anyone to help!” said Tanya.

She defused another anima with her copying move.

“We need Kyalda,” she said.

Taruto’s eyes had lit up.

“Well,” said Taruto. “I don’t know about Kyalda, but I think I can get us some help.”

Taruto pulled out a silver whistle.

“Why didn’t I think of that?” said Tanya.

“What is it?” asked Kish.

Taruto answer by blowing the whistle as hard as he could. Kish couldn’t hear a thing. Taruto blew it two more times, then pocketed it and sent vines at another anima.

“What was that for?” asked Kendra.

“To even the score,” said Taruto.

“Your stupid whistle didn’t work!” Yuuto said. “It’s broken, just like you will be—”

A screech cut off Yuuto’s words.

“I know that screech,” said Kish.

Illishar burst through the ranks of the kirema anima, slashing at them with his deadly claws. He rammed the anima with his beak. Total chaos ensued. All of the kirema anima were distracted by this new enemy and lost their focus on the Kyaldians.

But the effect of Taruto’s whistle didn’t stop there. Three more Treegriffs joined the fight, dealing heavy damage with their hooves, claws and beaks. A few crystal otters scurried under the feet of the kirema anima. They transformed into crystalline versions of the anima and began to fight. Two silver winged unicorns soared into the fray, slashing with their horns and hooves. A huge black dragon stuck its head through the window and snapped up one of the anima.

“All right! Nice going Taruto!” said Orla.

Ren appeared behind her and swiped at her. She ducked easily under his attack and returned it.

“Go away baka!” she yelled at him.

Kish zoomed in to help her. They alternated taking Ren’s attack and attacking him back. Suddenly, Orla froze. Ren darted in. Kish quickly blocked the move and twisted the sword from Ren’s hands.

“I feel it,” said Orla. “It’s like the moon, but softer…”

Orla walked to the edge of the platform and took off.

“I don’t think so, Moon-chan,” said Ren, appearing from nowhere. 

Kish crashed into him.

“I won’t let you stop her!” he said. “Everyone, we need to back Orla up!”

“Ribbon Crystal Moonshine Surge!” shouted Tanya, hitting both Yuuto and Ren.

“Vine Strike!” shouted Taruto.

“Shadow Assault!” shouted Kendra.

Suddenly Yuuto’s dagger punctured Kish’s arm. He grabbed it and pulled it out, but the poison had already gotten into his system. Pain like fire coursed through him and he was sure he was screaming even though he couldn’t hear it. He dropped from the air.

_ Kish! _

“Kish!”

Voices rang in his ears and mind. He couldn’t see. He could tell he was falling, but his wings refused to open. Everything was blurry. Something blue surged up to meet him and he started going up instead of down.

“Blue Nymph?” he mumbled.

Blue Nymph landed gently on the platform and set Kish down.

“KYALDA ROD!!”

Silver light completely surrounded the tower.

“Ribbon…. Kyalda Drops!”

Orla twirled into the air, spreading the bubbles around the air. The sky burst into silver light, as though the moon had come from nowhere. The light shone on Kish and the pain vanished. He sat up slowly. Blue Nymph was still standing in front of him.

“Thank you,” he said.

Blue Nymph smiled slightly. Why was that smile so familiar?

Suddenly a dagger zipped toward them. Blue Nymph saw it first. She stepped in front of Kish and it grazed against her arm. She winced.

“No, you’re injured!” said Kish.

Blue Nymph was breathing heavily.

“I’ll protect you,” she said.

Then she vanished. Kish stared at the place she had been. What if she was seriously injured? Orla landed on the platform and shot the bubbles at the kirema anima. All of the anima defused. Ren appeared.

“Kolora was right,” he said. “You are tough. But watch out for next time.”

“There won’t be a next time!” Orla said.

Ren smirked and vanished. Yuuto glared at the Kyaldians and vanished too.

“You did it Orla!!”

Tanya gave Orla a big hug and they both fell over.

“Whoa, easy on the enthusiasm,” said Orla.

Kendra laughed. Orla pushed Tanya off and sat up. The staff shrank into the key charm.

Kish felt like he was forgetting something. What was it? It hit him suddenly.

“Oh no, what time is it?”

Orla blinked.

“It’s about six. Why?”

“Dang, I’m late!”

Kish transformed back to normal.

“Hurry Kish!” said Tanya.

“Yeah, you’d better get a move on,” said Taruto.

“Am I the only one that’s confused?” asked Orla.

“Ask Taruto and Tanya,” said Kish. 

* * *

Kish ran down the street. Rain was starting to fall, pattering against the ground. No one seemed to pay much attention to him as he weaved around them. He heard people talking about the Kyaldians but he didn’t listen.

_ Please still be there, Mairead. _


	17. Love Eternal - I Will Never Let You Go

Kish skidded to a stop at the square. He couldn’t see anyone. Was Mairead still there? He peered through the sheets of rain.

No one was there. Mairead hadn’t waited.

And why should she have? It had been an hour, and the rain was coming down like crazy. He took a deep breath.

“I’ll just go home,” he said.

“Kish…”

Kish whirled. Mairead was standing there, watching him.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I was really late, and I—”

Kish walked over to her in two strides and pulled her into a hug.

“I thought you had gone home,” he said. “I got stuck at the tower battling and I thought you would just go home.”

Mairead didn’t say anything. She trembled from cold in his arms and Kish squeezed her tighter, as though he could warm her up.

“You’re freezing,” he said.

“No I’m not,” Mairead whispered. “You’re warming me up. In my heart.”

Then she buried her face in his chest and started to cry. Kish just stood there, holding her, feeling like he would never let go.

“Mairead…” said Kish. “Can I…can I stop being your childhood friend?” (MUAHAHA I STOLE THIS LINE FROM TOKYO MEW MEW A LA MODE!!!)

Mairead looked up at him.

“What do you mean?” she asked slowly.

Kish swallowed. He had to tell her.

“I love you Mairead,” he said. “I don’t want to ever leave you.”

Mairead didn’t answer him, but he could feel her shaking against him.

“Mairead?”

She was crying again, sobbing against him.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

He started to pull away. Mairead clung to him tighter.

“Don’t let go,” she said. “Don’t ever let me go. Don’t leave me.”

Kish stayed with her in the rain. She kept crying, her tears mingling with the rain.

“Me too,” she whispered finally. “I love you too. I just didn’t know how to say it.”

“Mairead…”

Mairead looked up, the tears stopping. They stared at each other for a long time. Then on an impulse, Kish leaned down and kissed her.

They broke apart.

“Well,” he said. “We still have a few hours left if you still want to go to the dance.”

“Let’s go,” said Mairead.

* * *

The dance had already started when the couple arrived.

“Finally! I thought you’d never come!”

Orla walked over to them from the crowd. She was wearing a short silver dress with a tight ribbon tied around the waist. A bow puffed out behind her.

“You look weird in a dress,” said Kish.

Orla stuck her tongue out at him.

“You don’t look much better,” she said. “You’re both wetter than a sea serpent.”

Kendra marched over to them, Bryn, Kokoro and Rikuto trailing behind.

“Sorry Kish, but we can’t let you two be together just yet,” she said. “Mairead, come on.”

She dragged a protesting Mairead away with her.

“You come with us,” Bryn said to Kish.

“Wait, where are we going?” Kish asked.

“You’ll see,” said Bryn, winking.

He waved at Taruto and Tanya sitting in the instrumental area. Tanya was holding a lyre and Taruto was sitting in front of a bunch of floating crystal balls.

“Taruto plays the Spherical?” said Kish.

“Yep,” said Bryn. “Apparently he’s been practicing since school started and that’s what he was hiding from us that first day.”

It all seemed so long ago. Bryn kept dragging Kish along.

“Where are you taking me?” Kish said again.

“You’ll see,” Bryn said again.

* * *

Tanya waited impatiently.

“They’re taking a really long time,” she said.

“Relax,” said Taruto. “We still have to play.”

“I know, but we can’t play our special song until Kish and Mairead come out!” she said.

Taruto rolled his eyes.

“Hey look, there’s Mairead!”

Mairead came out of the dressing room with Kendra, Orla and Kokoro. Mairead was now wearing a long powder blue dress decorated with blue fabric roses. The sleeves and skirt were long and Kendra was still working on pulling back the sides of Mairead’s hair into a crown shape.

“And there’s Kish, too!” said Tanya.

Kish was wearing a white dress shirt and black pants. The light of his Eversphere blended into the white of his shirt, making it look as though he was only wearing a copper ring.

Kish and Mairead saw each other at the same and they both blushed.

“Victory!” Tanya said, punching the air.

“We’d better start playing that song,” said Taruto.

“Right!” said Tanya.

Tanya pulled a few strings on her lyre to check the tune, then waited for Taruto to start the song. Taruto touched a few of the tiny crystal balls as though they were keys on a piano and music fell from them like rain. Tanya picked up on the melody instantly. She could tell when Kish and Mairead recognized the music.

Tanya had picked the song especially for them: it was Summer Rain, Mairead’s favorite song and the one that had gotten her into the choir every year.

Kendra and Bryn shoved Kish and Mairead out onto the dance floor. After an awkward glance at each other, they started dancing.

“Mission accomplished!” Tanya whispered.

Taruto smiled slightly but kept his concentration on the song. He was playing almost the whole thing on the Spherical, even the vocals. Sphericals were a strange instrument, few people could learn to play it and they could make almost any musical sound possible. It wasn’t known how it worked. Tanya thought it was magic.

Finally, the song ended. Tanya played the last part and the dancers slowly twirled to a stop. Taruto leaned back, taking a deep breath. 

“There’s never any break when you play the Spherical,” he grumbled.

“You didn’t have to try and learn to play it,” Tanya said. “The fact you can is amazing!”

Taruto managed a grin.

“Thanks Tanya,” he said. “Uh-oh, the lovebirds are going outside.”

“That’s not a bad thing,” said Tanya. “It stopped raining.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” said Taruto. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

“Oh stop being so serious,” said Tanya, punching him playfully on the shoulder. “Let’s go get something to eat.”

* * *

Kish and Mairead walked out into the gardens.

“Doesn’t seem too long ago when we came in here and you told me about being a Kyaldian,” said Mairead. “On the other hand, it feels like ages.”

“I know,” said Kish. “It’s weird.”

He took Mairead’s hand in his own and squeezed it.

“Kish,” she said. “When I was in that fortuneteller’s tent before, she told me to hang onto someone. I asked her who, but I knew who it was.”

She leaned against Kish.

“It was you Kish. She wanted me to hang on to you.”

She was trembling.

“Please don’t leave me Kish.”

Kish put his arm around her shoulder.

“I won’t. I promise,” he said. “I love you too much to let you go.”

Mairead stopped trembling. She huddled close to Kish.

“I’ve been having these dreams lately,” she said. “I keep seeing you. But you’re—different somehow. Then I see this girl. She’s about our age and she has red pigtails. And then—”

She shuddered.

“What happens?” asked Kish softly.

“I see you again, and you’re kissing her,” said Mairead. “I’m afraid.”

Kish turned Mairead around to face him and kissed her firmly.

“Mairead,” he said. “I love you. I promise that I won’t kiss anyone else.”

He could see the fear in her eyes.

“Please,” she said quietly.

Kish knew what she meant. He leaned in and kissed her again. They held there for a moment.

“Well isn’t this sweet. Two lovebirds, all alone.”

Kish and Mairead broke apart and Kish whirled around.

Kolora was standing at the entrance to the hedge maze.

“How adorable,” she said. “You two are just totally in love with each other, aren’t you?”

“Go away, Kolora,” said Kish. “I don’t feel like beating you today.”

“Cocky, aren’t we?”

Two kirema anima appeared from the maze, looking like giant wolves and growling at the pair. Kish pushed Mairead behind him protectively.

“Just let me take care of this,” said Kish. “You try and get the others.”

Mairead didn’t ask questions. She backed away slowly towards the door, keeping her eyes on the giant wolves. Kish held out his Eversphere.

“Kyalda Wind! METAMORPHOSES!”

He transformed.

“Wind Sais! Ribbon Windstorm!”

The attack hit both kirema wolves. Only one defused.

“Ribbon Windstorm!” he shouted again.

The wind clipped the wolf’s shoulder as it tried to dodge. It fell into a crouch, growling. Kish raised his sais to finish it.

“Ribbon—”

Suddenly Mairead screamed behind him.

“Kish look out!”

Something big slammed into his back, throwing the sais from his hands and pinning him to the ground. Another one??

Mairead screamed again. Kish could see the other kirema wolf leaping towards the place where Mairead’s voice had been.

“MAIREAD!! RUN!” Kish shouted.

Suddenly Mairead appeared in his sight line. She was in the air as though she had jumped and came landing gently on the ground.

“Kish!” she shouted.

“Mairead! Go get the others!”

“I’m not leaving you!”

“You can’t fight these things!”

The kirema wolf advanced on her.

“Mairead! RUN!”

The kirema wolf that had pinned him raised one massive paw above him, preparing to strike.

“Kish!” Mairead screamed.

Then the world exploded into a mass of fiery blue light.

_ What’s going on? _

“Blue Nymph! METAMORPHOSES!”

Mairead was right at the center of the light—and she was changing. Her hair was growing longer and straightening, changing from red to yellow. Her dress grew and darkened into a dark blue that Kish had seen somewhere before…

Her eyes opened and they were a fierce icy blue.

It was the Blue Nymph.

Blue Nymph pulled her bow from the folds of her cloak, pulled out an arrow and drew the string back. The arrow went flying in a haze of water, lodging itself between the kirema wolf’s eyes.

The kirema lurched back off of Kish. Blue Nymph took advantage of its lost focus and attacked with her sword.

“Indigo Tsunami Blade!” she shouted.

She swung her sword down and a huge wave of water slammed into the anima. It howled and defused. Blue Nymph let her sword clatter to the ground and she ran over to Kish.

“Kish, are you okay?”

It was Mairead’s voice.

“You’re…the Blue Nymph?” Kish said slowly.

Blue Nymph nodded. But now Kish could see Mairead in her face and it was clear as day.

“Then you’ve been the one saving me!” said Kish.

Mairead nodded again.

“I was really happy that I could help you,” she said. “But when I became Blue Nymph, I started having that dream. And worse, I started to get these weird flashbacks that can’t possibly be my memories.”

“Mairead?”

“Save the lovey-dovey stuff for later, this isn’t finished yet,” said Kolora. “Go, kirema anima!”

Two more kirema wolves appeared.

“Mairead, we have to work together for this!” said Kish.

Mairead nodded and turned to face the kirema anima.

“Tsunami Blade! Return!”

The sword she had left of the ground turned into water and surged towards her. It transformed back into a sword in her hand. 

“Wind Sais!” Kish shouted.

The kirema wolves attacked. Kish blew the first back and Mairead hit another with a wave of water. The anima fell back and circled, trying to find a way in. Without warning, one jumped forward. Kish blocked the attack, but he wasn’t ready for the next one.

“Kish!”

Kish’s sais started burning hot in his hands and he nearly dropped them. Light burned in his eyes and forced the anima back. Mairead’s sword was glowing as well. Words were forming in Kish’s head.

“Tsunami Wing Blade!” he shouted.

A long blade appeared in his hands, a sapphire winking where the blade and the hilt met. The hilt was formed by two outstretched wings like the Wing Sword.

“What is this?” Kish said.

The hilt was super long and the blade was so heavy he could barely lift it. How would he be able to use it?

A thought came to him. It was called the Tsunami Wing Blade…

“Mairead! I need your help!”

Mairead was at his side in a moment, her hands clutching the end of the sword. Together they were able to lift the blade.

“Ribbon…” they said together. “Tsunami Storm!”

A storm of wind and water burst from the sword, blowing into the kirema anima and defusing them instantly. Kolora was pushed back. She might have died in the force of the attack, but she vanished just in time. The sword vanished.

“We did it!” said Kish.

Suddenly, he felt very weak. He slowly sank towards the ground. Mairead caught him and transformed back to normal.

“Kish? Kish!”

Kish blacked out.


	18. To Find An Ally… - An Impossible Mission

A single candle lit the room. Darkness hovered on the edge of the pool of light, as though waiting for a chance to steal away the tiny flame. Six sat around the round table on which the candle stood.

The first was a large burly man with a big brown beard and narrow brown eyes. He was dressed in red finery trimmed with gold. The second was a woman in her prime, with dark ebony skin and angled eyebrows like a cat. Her calm gold eyes were framed by her raven hair and a golden circlet rested on her head.

The next two sat close to each other, fingers twined tightly together. The first of the pair was a teenage boy with shaggy brown hair. His gold eyes were an almond shape, and though he looked youthful, he had the look of one who has had to grow up suddenly. The girl next to him seemed to glow in the candlelight with her golden hair and white dress. Her youthful face and eyes were worried and she tightened her grip on the boy’s hand.

The next was a young man with bright red hair and the beginnings of a beard. His blue eyes were suspicious, darting around to each person at the table. The final figure was an ancient Cyniclon with more wrinkles than an old dress. Her scraggly gray hair fell around her face, and her pale blue eyes looked out of place among the rest of her dull coloring. She was muttering under her breath and fiddling with a deck of cards on the table. (SF: Yes, it is the fortuneteller from the boardwalk in chapter one.)

“I still believe we must gather our forces together and strike!” said the brown bearded man. “We must strike now, while the sorceress is weak!”

“You are a fool, Kamil,” the old Cyniclon said bluntly. “Even when Azulda is weak she’s a formidable enemy.”

“Your people have not had to fight the witch!” the red haired man said. “How would you know of her powers?”

“I know what the cards say, and the cards don’t lie,” the old fortuneteller said.

“You and your witchcraft,” the brown bearded man, Kamil said. “You’re as bad as  _ her _ .”

“You were quite eager for my skills when she was attacking the Marble City,” the fortuneteller said. “I would have thought you learned when the City fell. Azulda cannot be defeated by brute force.”

“You may have helped us,” said the red haired man. “But the City still fell. I lost many men. And your tribe? The tribes of Northern and Southern Teros stayed hidden in their forests!”

The fortuneteller bristled.

“I cannot speak for all the tribes!” she said. “We are separate from each other. You should be happy I convinced them to let me come!”

“Hinda, Lamar, Kamil! Keep your claws sheathed.”

The dark skinned elf was the one to speak.

“We are here to form an alliance, not to push each other farther apart!” she said. “We must work together to defeat the goddess. It is her wish to have us at each others throats!”

The teenage boy nodded.

“My feelings exactly, Pallas-dono,” he said.

His voice was weary, as thought he had seen too much for his age.

“Ah yes. You’re Prince Jun,” said the red haired man, Lamar.

He had fixed his gaze on the young man.

“I wasn’t too sure about this when I heard you were coming to this meeting,” he said. “There are rumors about you.”

“I know these rumors,” said Jun. “But Lamar-dono, let me assure you that they are unfounded.”

“How can we be sure?” Lamar said.

“Shut up if you know what’s good for you, Lamar,” said the fortuneteller Hinda angrily. “Don’t you know what this boy has been through?”

Something stirred in Jun’s lap. Something purple and furry leapt from his lap and onto the table. It was a purple rabbit with a long tufted tail and a golden U on its forehead. 

It was Anzu.

“A Napajit!” Pallas whispered.

Anzu watched all of them with his big blue eyes. He did not speak, but he watched carefully.

“We have to decide on a course of action,” the young golden haired girl said softly.

Jun smiled at her, becoming for a moment the young boy he should have become.

“Yes, Artemis-chan,” he said.

Their eyes met and there was love in their eyes.

“If we gather together as one, we may be able to defeat the witch!” said Kamil.

“When will you idiots start saying her name?” Hinda snapped. “And we have already determined that brute force won’t work.”

“Then what do you suggest?” Lamar said angrily.

“Stealth and cunning,” Hinda said. “Send a small group into Darkasia with a distraction at the front. Then destroy Azulda from the inside.”

“How small are you suggesting?” Kamil shot at her.

But Hinda had suddenly stiffened.

“Six.”

“You cannot possibly mean that!” Kamil roared. “That is too few—”

“Silence!” Anzu said suddenly.

Shock registered in Kamil’s face and he quieted.

“It talks—”

“She is giving a prophecy!” Anzu said.

“Wind, Crystal, Vine, Moon, Shadow and Water,” said Hinda in a monotone voice.

The whole room was silent. Hinda looked through all of them, as though she was in another place and time. The candle flickered eerily.

“Of those who know, three will go.

To find an ally no one knows

Without this ally, they will fail

The evil one will prevail.”

The candle turned blue and jumped higher than should be possible. There were gasps and some slight shouts. Anzu snapped at everyone to be quiet.

“Vine, Wind and Thunder as well

Return to a world where time will tell

If they succeed and find the five

Then they will win and stay alive.

The wave of darkness shall fall away

And once again will light win the day.”

The flame seemed to consume the entire room with light—then faded. The candle flame flickered as it had been before. Hinda slumped in her chair, eyes closed.

Artemis broke from Jun to run to her. She touched Hinda’s forehead and shook her head, murmuring softly to the old fortuneteller.

The dream started to break up. The voices and images faded away into the darkness…

* * *

Kish opened his eyes. Mairead was staring down at him.

“Kish!” she said, “Are you okay?”

Kish tried to sit up and he instantly felt dizzy. He lied back down again.

“What hit me?” he groaned.

“You fainted from a excess of energy,” said Leoti’s voice. “You weren’t ready for that kind of power yet.”

Kish tried to sit up again, much more slowly. Mairead helped him prop himself up on pillows.

“Oh, is he awake?” said Orla, peeking into the room.

“Yes,” said Anzu.

Anzu.

“I had a dream,” said Kish. “Anzu was in it.”

Leoti seemed suddenly interested. Anzu stopped licking himself.

“What was your dream about?” Leoti asked.

“It was weird. There were a bunch of people talking.”

He explained it as best he could.

“Come to think of it, that fortuneteller Hinda looked a lot like the one at the boardwalk,” said Kish. “Except she wasn't blind.”

“It is,” said Anzu.

The other Kyaldians had come into the room while Kish was telling his story and now they all stared at Anzu.

Leoti nodded.

“You dreamed about a real event,” said Leoti. “That was the First Council of Old Earth.”

“Old Earth was nearly three million years ago!” said Orla. “There’s no possible way anyone could live that long!”

Anzu ‘hmpfed’ and turned his back on everyone, starting to clean himself again.

“What? What did I say?” Orla said.

“Napajits are a bit sensitive about their age,” said Leoti. “Anyway, the First Council of Old Earth was formed to make an alliance between the countries of that time.”

“We learned about that in history class,” said Kendra. “There was Verity, Darkasia, Sealand, Northern and Southern Teros, Winglas, Pampas and Angland. But none of those countries exist today.”

“They exist, but under different names,” said Leoti. “But that’s beside the point. At that time, Azulda was raging across Old Earth.”

“Stop saying that name!” Meav said.

“Azulda?” said Kish. “I’ve heard that name before.”

“Yeah,” said Orla. “Some people were saying I was her reincarnation.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Oh yeah, that’s the book that made Mairead faint,” said Kish. “Remember?”

Mairead shook her head.

“To tell the truth, that whole thing is kind of fuzzy to me.”

“Hm.”

Kish stared at the ceiling, thinking.

“So what about that prophecy?”

He thought a moment.

“I can’t really remember it very well,” he said.

“Six,” said Anzu instantly.

Everyone turned to stare at him.

“Wind, Vine, Crystal, Moon, Shadow and Water,” he recited. “Of those who know, three will go, to find an ally no one knows. Without this ally, they will fail. The evil one will prevail. Vine, Wind and Thunder as well, return to a world where time will tell. If they succeed and find the five, then they will win and stay alive. The wave of darkness shall fall away, and once again will light win the day.”

There was a short silence.

“You can still remember that after three million years?” said Orla.

Anzu glared at her and turned his back on everyone again.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it!” said Orla.

Anzu sighed.

“You didn’t know. It’s all right.”

Leoti glanced at him.

“Anzu, you have some kind of imagery powers yourself. What images do you see when you hear those words?” she asked.

“The first sentence is easy enough to figure out,” said Anzu. “Wind, Vine, Crystal, Moon, Shadow and Water. Obviously referring to the Kyaldians.”

“Right,” said Taruto. “Even I can see that.”

“So then the next part,” said Anzu. “ ‘Of those who know, three will go to find an ally no one knows.’ That’s when I see the ally you are supposed to find.”

“Who is it?” asked Kish.

Anzu flicked his tail.

“I have no idea,” he said. “All I get are images. I can see five silhouettes and only one is clear enough to see some detail. It’s a girl with pink hair and a pink dress and cat ears.”

Kish recognized the description instantly. He dug in his pocket and pulled out the folded drawing of the crying girl.

“Does she look anything like this?” he asked.

Anzu studied the drawing for a moment and nodded.

“An exact likeness,” he said. “Where have you seen her before?”

“In my dreams,” said Kish. “Ever since my dad disappeared.”

Anzu seemed to consider this for a moment.

“Well in the next part ‘Wind, Vine and Thunder as well return to a world where time will tell,’ I see Earth as I remember it from three million years ago. Then I see you, Kish, and Taruto and Pai. Wind, Vine and Thunder.”

Pai, who hadn’t seemed very interested in this conversation beforehand, suddenly let a flare of shock appear on his face.

“But I’m not a Kyaldian anymore,” he said slowly, trying to regain his composure.

Anzu shrugged.

“That’s who I see,” he said. “You three are the ones that have to go.”

“But what about us?” Tanya said suddenly. “Why can I go? Why can’t Orla, Kendra or Mairead go?”

“Because the prophecy says you’re not supposed to go,” said Anzu. “Prophecies must be followed.”

“That’s not fair!” said Tanya. “I want to go too!”

“It will be dangerous,” said Leoti.

“That’s why I need to go!” said Tanya. “Taruto will probably mess things up without my help!”

“Hey!” said Taruto.

“I don’t think it’s right,” said Kendra. “Separating Mairead and Kish at this stage.”

Kish glanced at Mairead. She was looking kind of pale.

He squeezed her hand.

“It’s okay,” he said.

“But my dream,” she whispered.

“We don’t have much a choice,” said Leoti. “Things are moving much faster than I expected.”

She stood up and walked to the window.

“I said that I didn’t know what was happening during the tower attack,” she said. “The truth is, I knew exactly what was happening. Deep Blue was trying to wake up without his host.”

“ _ What _ ?”

Everyone spoke at once. Leoti held up a hand for silence. She waited for them to quiet down before continuing.

“He was easily stopped without the power of his true host,” she said. “But he might decide to wake up again. You need to find this ally before he does.”

“What about Azulda?” Kish asked.

“I don’t know where her host is,” Leoti said. “But I do know where Deep Blue’s host is.”

She pointed to the blinked computer screen.

“We found his signal in Tokyo, Japan. Modern Earth.”

* * *

Kish, Taruto and Pai stood in the center of a circle drawn on the ground.

“Kish, please don’t go,” Mairead said.

Kish knew his face matched Mairead’s worried expression. He squeezed her hand.

“I have to go,” he said. “I have to find this ally so we can defeat Deep Blue.”

“But what if you’re in trouble?” Mairead said. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to come for you when you’re so far away.”

She looked at Leoti, who was preparing to open the dimensional vortex.

“I mean, look at how much work it’s taking just to send you three there,” Mairead said. “I know I won’t be able to come for you. And my dream has been more vivid!”

Kish leaned in and kissed Mairead.

“I love you Mairead,” said Kish. “That’s why I will come back. That’s why I will stay safe.”

They stared into each others eyes.

“I will always love you and no one else,” said Kish. “We’re crossed together too tightly to break apart.”

“But…” Mairead said. “I’m afraid.”

Kish hugged her.

“I am too,” he said. “I am too.”

They kissed one more time, then broke apart. Mairead stepped out of the circle, worry in her eyes.

“Make sure you come back,” said Kendra. “If you leave Mairead an old spinster I’ll never forgive you.”

“Kendra!” said Mairead, flushing.

“Taruto, if you get into trouble, I swear I’m going to kill you,” said Tanya.

She sounded tough, but Kish could see the tears in her eyes.

“Don’t you make me be a matchmaker all by myself, ototo-san,” she said.

“For the last time Tanya,” Taruto mumbled. “You’re not older than me.”

Tanya wiped at her eyes.

“Maybe while you’re on this adventure, you’ll find a girlfriend,” she said, attempting to smile.

“Tanya!” Taruto said, flushing.

Tanya squeezed her eyes shut to hold back her tears.

“Bye, ototo-san,” she said.

Taruto let the nickname go.

“I promise I’ll come back,” he said. “I won’t let you have all the fun of being a matchmaker by yourself.”

Tanya smiled through her tears.

Orla was hugging her father so tightly if looked like Pai was having trouble breathing.

“Stay safe, dad,” Orla said. “Don’t leave me alone for long.”

“I promise,” said Pai. “I will come back as soon as I can.”

Orla seemed to be holding back tears. She stepped out of the circle.

“Stay safe, Kyaldians,” said Leoti.

There was something hidden in her tone. Kish felt suddenly uneasy.

“Kish?”

Kish blinked. Leoti was watching him.

“Look for Ichigo Momomiya,” she said. “She’s the one you need to find.”

Leoti knew the girl’s name?

“I can’t say much more, but…” she said. “Hold on to Mairead in your head. Keep her in your mind throughout the transfer. It might...make things easier.”

Kish nodded.

“I will.”

Leoti nodded as well.

“Good luck.”

The circle drawn on the ground started to glow. A huge dome spread over the three Cyniclons within the circle.

“Kish! Don’t forget Mairead!” Leoti shouted over the rush of the magic.

The dome burst into light and Kish closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was in a bubble of Leoti’s amber magic, floating in darkness.

“We’re in the dimension vortex,” said Pai. “Strange. It’s never been this dark before.”

“You’ve been in the dimension vortex before?” said Taruto.

Suddenly Kish’s Eversphere got warm. Three shadows appeared in corners of his eyes. He opened his mouth to warn Pai and Taruto, but a hand came over his mouth.

“Sleep tight Windy,” Kolora hissed.

Kish blacked out.

* * *

“Ichigo! Ichigo!” Masha said. “There’s an alien!”

“Huh?” said Ichigo.

“There’s an alien!” Masha repeated.

Ichigo took the little puffball in her hands.

“You’re saying it again!” she said exasperatedly. “Didn’t you make a mistake yesterday?”

“But there is, there is!” Masha insisted.

“Is this thing broken?” Ichigo said, shaking Masha gently.

“There is!” someone said.

“Eh?”

Ichigo looked around.

“I just wanted to check out the people who were ruining our plans,” the voice continued. “But you’re actually pretty cute.”

Ichigo looked up. Someone was standing on the roof of the house next to her. Ichigo barely had time to register this fact when the shadow swooped down. She felt lips on hers.

She blinked, still in shock and unable to react.

He broke away.

“Who the heck are you?” Ichigo said.

It was a weird guy with big ears, dark green hair and creepy yellow eyes.

“My name is Kish,” he said. “Thanks for the kiss.”

Ichigo touched her lips. It was slowly sinking in that he had just kissed her.

“I…I…”

“Take it as my greeting for today,” said Kish.

He floated back into the air and disappeared.

“Ichigo! Ichigo!” said Masha.

Somewhere far away, Mairead woke up in a cold sweat.

“Kish!” she screamed.


	19. Butterflies Really Are Freaky… - Don’t They Remember?

“What?”

Mairead nodded numbly.

“Why on Earth would Kish kiss someone besides you?” said Orla. “He totally loves you!”

Tanya and Kendra nodded.

“I know when Kish is in trouble,” Mairead said. “And I could tell something was wrong. It was almost like he—like he forgot me.”

“Completely impossible,” said Orla.

“But if Mairead thinks Kish is in trouble…” said Kendra.

“Then that means all three of them probably are,” Tanya finished.

“And that means we have to go after them,” said Orla.

“I’m not sure that’s possible,” said Leoti.

They all turned around. Mairead hadn’t noticed Leoti come into the room.

“Why not?” Orla asked heatedly.

“I don’t have the kind of power to take all of us through a dimension tunnel,” said Leoti. “I had to draw off of strength stored in an emerald and there’s no more left.”

She sighed.

“To send us all to the dimension, I’d need to have a full moon and there won’t be one for another month.”

Orla sat bolt upright.

“You need a full moon?” she said.

“Orla, can you do something about it?” Kendra said.

“I can definitely arrange a full moon off schedule,” said Orla. “Just give me a date.”

Leoti smiled suddenly.

“Let’s figure out who all is going first.”

“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” said Kendra. “Us four Kyaldians!”

Leoti shook her head.

“You’re not going without me,” said Leoti. “And there are several people eavesdropping outside who I think want to go too.”

“You got that right!”

Bryn marched in the room with Rikuto and Kokoro.

“You’re not going without me, Kendra,” said Bryn. “And don’t even think about arguing!”

Kendra grumbled slightly. Leoti grinned.

“Looks like everyone who knows about the Kyaldians is tagging along. I know for a fact that Meav, Erinda and Chantilly have been bugging me about going after them.”

“Finally, let’s go against a prophecy!” said Tanya.

“I don’t think this is the greatest idea, but I’m coming too,” said Anzu.

“Well, let’s do this,” said Mairead. “When are we leaving?”

“When can you get us a full moon?” Leoti asked Orla.

Orla grinned.

“Tonight.”

* * *

Kish floated in another dimension, thinking.

Ichigo was such a feisty little kitty. Still, she was fun to play with. He smiled, remembering her angry face when he had attacked her the last time. Suddenly, images and blurred voices forced their way unbidden into his mind.

_ “Kish!” _

A red haired girl smiled at him. Her smile made him so happy…

_ “Kish! Don’t forget Mairead!” _

Kish’s eyes snapped open. He shoved the images and voices away. They meant nothing to him.

But…

What were they? Were they really his memories?

“You’re being stupid, Kish,” he said out loud.

“Hey Kish!”

Kish looked up. Taruto was floating nearby.

“Pai wants us to see something,” he said.

Kish glared at Taruto. He was still a bit sore at having Taruto and Pai replace him. It gave him less chances to mess with Ichigo. They hadn’t even battled the mews yet!

“What is it this time?” he said.

Taruto shrugged.

“No idea.”

Kish followed Taruto to where Pai was standing. He was tapping keys on the control panel. The screen was floating in front of him, showing the park. The park was dark; the sun had just gone down.

“What is it, Pai?” Kish said.

Pai glanced at them and looked back at the screen.

“There are extremely high energy readings. There shouldn’t be anything this big here.”

“And this worries us because why?” said Kish.

Pai was about to answer, but suddenly the sky changed. It had been a new moon just a second ago, but suddenly it turned full. The energy readers at the corners of the screen started flashing dangerously.

“It’s off the charts,” Pai muttered.

Silver light filled the park. Then just as suddenly the light vanished. The moon went back to normal and the energy readings dropped. But the park wasn’t back to normal. There was a giant group of people standing where the light had been. They appeared to be talking, but Pai’s computer couldn’t pick up the voices.

Suddenly, a girl in the middle raised a hand holding something shiny and the whole group vanished.

Pai pressed a button and view changed to thermal. It appeared to be that the group was still there, but—

Invisible?

They moved off of the screen view and vanished from the sensors.

“What was that all about?” Kish said.

“Who cares?” Taruto said.

Pai remained silent, still pressing buttons on the control panel.

Kish couldn’t help but feel that something was happening. And whatever it was, he couldn’t be sure if it was good or bad.

* * *

“Whoa!”

“This is totally amazing!”

“How long have you had a house on Earth?”

“Shop,” Leoti corrected. “It’s a shop.”

The room was lit by strange looking torches. The fire hovered above the brackets in an unflagging sphere and threw the room into light. A counter blocked off the back of the shop. Behind the counter were two doors, one painted orange and the other brown. Between the doors was a small cabinet. The counter top was covered in papers, notebooks, pencils, quills, and small baskets filled with odds and ends.

The walls that didn’t have windows were stuffed with bookshelves that reached to the ceiling. Some shelves were packed with books: bound in different colored fabrics with metal clasps, or more modern paperbacks and hard covers, and a bunch with strange lettering. A few were even chained to the bookshelf.

“Are you really worried about someone stealing those?” Orla asked, pointing at some of the chained books. “I mean, no one can really find this place anyway since you made it spelled, right?”

“No, I'm more worried about them running away and wreaking havoc,” said Leoti, not even looking up from a small brown diary she was reading.

Orla glanced a bit apprehensively at the chained books and moved away from them.

Books weren’t the only things on the shelves. There were stacks of cards, a pile of different colored balls, and a silver and white sphere with a button on the front.

A table sat in the center of the room. It was covered in jewelry and a few extremely thick books with intricate clasps. Orla walked away from the shelves to take a look at the jewelry. It was mainly necklaces: different colored shells with wings, a silver medallion with a knight on it, a necklace with a tiny unicorn horn on it, and two keys (one topped with a bird head and the other with a star). There were also a few bracelets and a small golden ring.

“So how long have you had this place?” asked Meav.

Leoti glanced up, then looked back down at the diary.

“Fourteen years,” she said. “I visited it about three years ago, but I haven’t been here since.”

“It’s totally awesome!” said Tanya.

She walked over to the table in the center and stared at an opal necklace underneath a glass case.

“Careful, that one’s cursed,” Leoti said, still staring at the diary.

Tanya jerked her hand back from the glass and moved away to study a cluster of glass spheres on stands. She stared at one in particular that appeared to have a tiny forest inside of it.

“Hey Leoti-oneechan. How come I can hear my voice coming out of this?”

Leoti finally put down the diary and walked over to Tanya. She smiled and picked up the sphere.

“Good,” she said. “They’re still working.”

“What are they?” asked Kendra.

There were maybe fifteen spheres and only three had anything in them. There were some shards below an empty stand, as though one of them had shattered.

Leoti set down the forested one and checked the other two. One was filled with shifting mist and the other was crackling with lightning like a plasma ball.

“These are memory spheres,” said Leoti.

“Okay…” said Kendra. “And what do they do?”

“They contain memories lost through magical means,” said Leoti. “When Mairead explained her dream to me, I could only think of one possibility. Kolora has used a memory wipe similar to the one she used on you, Kendra.”

“But I broke out of that curse easy enough,” said Kendra. “And Kish is more powerful than the rest of us; it would be no problem for him to break out.”

Leoti shook her head.

“It’s a different kind of memory wipe,” she said. “More specific. Instead of possessing Kish and the others, she has blocked their memories and planted new ones. I doubt they even remember their real names.”

“How would we break something like that?” Mairead said. “If they remember things that aren’t true, nothing we say or do will change that.”

“There are two ways to break a memory curse,” said Leoti. “The first consists of a trigger that will awaken any small memory. It’s usually a very slow process.”

“What kind of trigger?” asked Meav.

“It could be anything. A tree similar to one they’ve seen before, something they saw in a dream, someone who acts similar to someone they knew, even just brushing up against someone they knew before.”

“Okay. And the second way?” asked Orla.

“Memory spheres,” said Leoti. “However, memory spheres are unwieldy and hard to use. They could result in unconsciousness for both user and receiver.”

“So the trigger is safest, but works slower,” said Erinda, nodding.

Leoti nodded. Tanya crossed her arms.

“I won’t believe it until I see it,” she said. “There’s no way they could forget us, curse or not.”

“I agree,” said Orla.

Kendra and Mairead nodded. Meav looked a bit confused, and Erinda frowned. Anzu glanced at Leoti, meaning hidden in his gaze. Leoti looked sad.

“Either way, we have to find them,” said Mairead. “What made you so sure they were in Tokyo?”

“Because that’s where the dimension tunnel would send them,” Leoti said. “They were looking for a girl with pink hair and cat ears. That could only mean one thing.”

“And that is?” Orla said.

Leoti suddenly grinned mischievously.

“You might want to try these on,” she said, tossing something to the five girls and three boys.

“This is a school uniform,” said Orla.

“Yep.”

“You aren’t implying…” Bryn said.

“Yes. Tomorrow, you are a group of exchange students from America,” she said.

“Joy,” said Kokoro.

“I always loved acting,” said Rikuto.

Kokoro smacked Rikuto on the head with a fan.

* * *

“Good morning Ichigo!”

“Good morning, Moe, Miwa,” Ichigo said.

“Well?” said Moe. “Did you make it to the competition yesterday?”

Ichigo hesitated. Yesterday had been a disaster. Kish had attacked Masaya and nearly killed him. Thankfully, Masaya hadn’t realized Ichigo was a mew, and he had given her the little bell she was wearing around her neck. So yesterday hadn’t been a total loss.

“I caught the end,” Ichigo said. “And I talked to Masaya afterward too.”

“You are so lucky!” Miwa said. “You got the cutest guy in school!”

“It’s not like he’s my boyfriend or anything!” Ichigo said, blushing.

“Hey, did you see? We got a bunch of exchange students today!”

Ichigo blinked. She followed Miwa’s finger to the group standing near the doors.

“Wow. How many of them are there?” Ichigo said.

Moe counted.

“Eight,” she said. “But Americans usually come in groups, don’t they?”

“Yeah,” said Ichigo. “I wonder how good they are at speaking Japanese.”

“I hope they’re good,” said Moe. “That brown haired guy is  _ hot. _ ”

Ichigo saw the guy she was talking to.

“Not as cute as Masaya,” Ichigo said.

“Oh, shush,” said Moe.

“But I want to go too!” one of the group said.

She appeared be the youngest of the group, with short brown hair and two small pigtails on the top of her head.

“Whoa, that little girl has yellow eyes!” said Moe.

Ichigo took a better look at the girl. She did have yellow eyes. And they looked too much like Kish’s eyes for comfort. The girl gave her a weird feeling. The whole group had the same feeling.

The little girl and a blond girl seemed to be arguing, but Ichigo couldn’t hear them. For all she knew, they could be speaking English.

The bell rang for classes to start. Ichigo walked with Moe and Miwa to the door. Suddenly, she brushed against one of the exchange students—a girl her age with red curly hair. Blue eyes met with brown for a split-second. Ichigo felt as though something had passed between them—something that neither of them could understand. Then the moment was over and the girl walked on.

Ichigo walked away with Moe and Miwa. But when she sat down in class and thought about what had just happened, she realized that she had gotten a weird feeling when she had bumped into that girl. Almost like…

Like they were somehow connected through something, but Ichigo couldn’t figure out what.

She tuned out the teacher and stared out the window, trying to think. What was it that sparked that feeling in her? Like they were connected by something…or someone…

The memory of Kish swooping down and kissing her pushed its way into her mind. She jerked in surprise. No way! Did the exchange student have something to do with Kish?

* * *

Tanya sat in the shop, totally dejected. Leoti had told her to stay behind while they looked for Kish. Tanya punched a bookshelf in frustration and immediately regretted it. Her hand throbbed painfully and she went back to moping around the shop.

It was because she was the youngest. That’s why they left her behind.

Something shiny caught her eye in the back of the room. (Me: Ooo SOMETHING SHINY!!) She walked toward it. It was a tiny book, bound in pale blue fabric and locked with a silver clasp. Curious, she jiggled the clasp and it opened. The book fell open and she stared at the title page.

_ The Crystal Book _

_ By Prairee Flores _

Tanya flipped the page. There was a drawing of a Crystalline Otter and a page on its stats and powers. Tanya continued to flip through the book. Suddenly she stopped on a page. 

_ Crystal Transformation _

_ Copy the general appearance of any person, animal or object. _

Tanya began to get excited. If she could transform, then Leoti and the others wouldn’t realize that it was her if they saw her. Then she could look for Taruto!

She slowly mouthed the words to herself, committing them to memory. Then she closed the book and with only a moment’s hesitation, slid it into her pocket. It was just the right size, and it  _ was _ a crystal book. Crystal was  _ her _ power.

She walked over to the door and peeked out.

“Now to find someone to copy,” she said.

There was a girl in the park, doing tricks on a ball in front of a crowd.

“She’ll do,” Tanya said.

She closed her eyes and pictured the girl in her head.

“Hari kasei,” she whispered.

A sensation like cold water flowed through her veins, leaving her tingly. It felt like she was being encased in cold crystal—then suddenly the feeling shattered. She turned around and looked at herself in the darkened window of Leoti’s shop. 

She now had short brown hair with four tiny braids in the back. Her outfit had changed to match the girl doing tricks, but it was pale blue.

“It’ll do,” Tanya said.

She glanced out into the park and slipped the opposite direction so that the girl she had copied wouldn’t see her. Eventually she found herself at the other side of the park.

“Well I just walked in a big circle,” she grumbled.

Then she noticed the pink castle.

“How cute!”

She walked toward it and suddenly was hit with the same feeling she got when Kyalda was around.

_ I better check this out. Maybe Taruto’s in there! _

Tanya ran over to the building. After a moment’s thought, she passed the front door and sneaked over to a window. Cautiously, she peeked in.

“Pudding!! Pick up these plates!!”

“Whee! It’s time for my ball!!”

It was the girl that Tanya had copied! She was running around the building in a frilly café uniform on a ball, chased by two other girls in blue and pink. Another girl in purple leaned against the wall, and a fifth girl in green knelt on the ground, trying to sweep up fragments of a broken plate.

Tanya giggled. She was like a perfect copy of the girl she had copied. They were both hyper and annoyed people.

But Tanya’s giggle had attracted attention. The girl in purple looked up towards the window. Tanya ducked out of sight, but it was too late.

“Ichigo, there was a girl with yellow eyes out there,” Tanya heard someone say. “Besides that and her brown hair she was a perfect copy of Pudding.”

“Time to go,” Tanya, muttered.

She started sneaking around the café.

“Hey you! Come back!”

It was the girl in pink with the others behind her. Tanya glanced behind her and took off.

“Wait!”

Tanya didn’t stop. She charged recklessly into the woods nearby. Branches smacked her in the face and slowed her down, but she didn’t stop. Finally, she couldn’t keep going. She stopped and dropped to her knees. She listened carefully.

No one was following her. She sighed.

“Maybe I should have listened to Leoti and stayed back at the shop,” Tanya said.

Then she shook her head.

“No, I did the right thing,” she said to herself. “I have to find ototo-san!”

It was so quiet. Tanya had half expected to hear Taruto’s voice saying,

“You’re only older than me by twenty seconds!”

Tanya felt suddenly alone and sad. Taruto had always been her partner in everything. She couldn’t remember a time when they hadn’t been best friends. They had been inseparable.

She could feel tears starting to fall. On instinct, she checked her pocket, to make sure that the book was still there. It was gone.

Suddenly terrified, Tanya leapt to her feet and looked around frantically. Had she dropped it while she was running? She turned back and walked slowly back the way she had come, staring at the ground and hoping against hope that she would find the Crystal Book.

Suddenly her Kyalda Key flashed. Tanya stopped and glanced down at the necklace she was wearing. Her Eversphere had transformed after she had used the Kyalda Rod, and now the magic worked differently. 

_ Go left, three paces. _

Huh? Had that been a voice?

Tanya turned to her left and took three steps.

_ Not steps! Paces! That means six steps!! _

“Well why didn’t you say so?” Tanya grumbled.

She took three more steps.

_ Now look to your right. _

Tanya looked. There was the book, lying open. She ran over to it and picked it up. It was open to a page with the title:  _ Using Crystals as a Compass. _

“Well that’s helpful,” said Tanya. “Like I really need a compass.”

But she read the next sentence.

_ Can be used to find your way through mazes, find places that can’t be found, and even find objects and people. _

Tanya’s eyes widened. Maybe it could help find Taruto!

She mouthed the words, hoping she was pronouncing them right. Then she closed her eyes and pictured Taruto in her mind.

“Hari hiroimino,” she whispered. “Taruto.”

Her Kyalda Key flashed and a line of light burst from it. Tanya jerked back and nearly dropped the book. The light hovered there a moment and vanished. But its path had burned itself into Tanya’s mind. She shoved the book into a deeper pocket, determined not to lose it again. Then she ran after the invisible line.

She wasn’t sure how long she was walking, but the sun soon went down and it was getting darker. Tanya was getting tired. How much longer would this take?

Suddenly she broke free of the trees and found a building. It wasn’t as strange as the café, but it was big and seemed important. The invisible line tugged at Tanya’s mind, leading her towards the building.

She swallowed and walked forward carefully, her hand grasping her Kyalda Key. The line led her to a window and stopped. She peeked through cautiously.

Taruto wasn’t anywhere she could see. All Tanya could see was a woman sitting at a desk, writing something. There were cases with butterflies on the wall.

“Darn, it didn’t work,” said Tanya.

But something made her stay put and watch. Her patience was rewarded. 

The door blasted open and cases full of butterflies shattered. The glass on the window Tanya was looking through shattered and she barely dodged the glass. One shard scratched her cheek and she felt a thin trickle of blood.

“No, don’t touch that butterfly! The wings are very poisonous!”

Tanya scrambled to her feet and stared through the window. It was Pai and Taruto!

Pai was holding a pink butterfly in one hand.

“Nice to know,” said Pai.

He held up a hand. Pink circles flew from his hand like echolocation and lifted the woman into the air. Something pink pulled out of her chest and zoomed to Pai’s hand. The woman fell to the ground, skin pale white.

Tanya gasped. Pai had just stolen that human’s spirit!

Pai’s face was expressionless. Tanya had no other choice. She leapt over the remains of the window and into the room.

“Hey!” she said. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Who are you?” Taruto said.

Tanya blinked—then remembered she was still in a copied form. Still, she looked enough like him that he could draw conclusions, couldn’t he?

“Why are you stealing innocent humans’ spirits?” Tanya said. “That’s not like you guys. I didn’t even know you could.”

“What the heck are you talking about?” Taruto said. “I have no idea who you are. You’re making it sound like you know who we are, human.”

“I’m not a human, baka!” Tanya said. “Crystal copy, form deactivate!”

The cool sensation rushed through her and she could feel the illusion shatter around her, revealing her true form.

“No way!” said Taruto. “You’re a Cyniclon?”

“Duh, Taruto,” said Tanya. “It’s not like you haven’t lived with me for ten years.”

“What are you talking about?” Taruto said.

Even Pai seemed confused.

“You’re annoying me,” Taruto said.

“Big surprise,” Tanya said.

Suddenly, Pai raised the hand with the spirit in it.

“Fusion!” he said.

There was a flash of light and a creepy butterfly anima appeared.

“No way, that looks exactly like the one that Ren and Yuuto made from Chantilly’s spirit!” said Tanya.

“What are you talking about?” Taruto said.

“You really don’t remember a thing, do you, Taruto,” said Tanya.

“Stop calling me that!” said Taruto. “My name is Taruto.”

Tanya froze. It was true. Taruto didn’t remember. The tears pricked at her eyes, but she forced them away. She refused to cry in front of this new Taruto.

“Kyalda Pendant!” she shouted. “Kyalda Crystal! META—” 

The butterfly blew poison at Tanya before she finished. Tanya went into a coughing fit and sank to her knees.

Now the tears were falling. Her brother, her friend, her partner in crime, her fellow matchmaker. He was attacking her and he didn’t even think it was wrong.

“You promised!” she shouted between coughs. “You promised you would come back!”

Then she teleported back to the shop. Leoti and the others were there.

“Tanya!” said Kendra.

“What do you think you were doing?” said Mairead.

“Where have you been?” said Orla and Kokoro.

The tears were still coming down.

“He didn’t keep his promise,” Tanya whispered. “He didn’t keep his promise.”

Then she totally broke down.


	20. Another Loss – Orla’s Pain

Orla glanced around the corner. The school courtyard was full with students. Orla sighed. It was harder than it seemed pretending to be exchange students from America, considering that they all spoke perfect Japanese. Orla still found it odd calling her language Japanese instead of Napajian. (Though the planet’s name is Synoch, Orla and the others live in the country Napaj. Napajians speak the same language as Japan.) At least school was over for the day.

She sighed again.

“Oh, hello. You’re one of the American exchange students, aren’t you?”

Orla turned around. It was that red-haired girl that Mairead had bumped into yesterday.

“Uh, yeah,” said Orla.

The girl smiled.

“You speak Japanese very well,” she said. “My name is Ichigo Momomiya.”

“Uh, Orla Fallon,” Orla said.

“Are you enjoying Japan?” Ichigo asked. “Is it very different from your home?”

“Extremely,” Orla said.

She thought about the kirema anima and the different races that had gone to her old school. You didn’t see spirits or elves in a human school. Orla nearly touched her ear, still feeling weird with the transformation spell that Leoti had placed on all of them to make them look human.

“Hey Ichigo!”

Ichigo turned. A girl with blue-black hair in two buns stood across the street, hands on her hips.

“Ichigo, come on! You’ll be late!” she said.

“Oh, coming, Mint!” said Ichigo. “Nice meeting you Orla-san.”

She ran across the street.

“Yeah,” said Orla. “Nice to meet you.”

Suddenly her Kyalda Key flashed in warning, warming at her chest. She got a sudden image of kirema anima attacking a library. She turned and ran, following her instincts to find her way to the library.

“There!”

She skidded to a stop. The glass in this building had shattered. Was it Ren and Yuuto or Kolora? Or was it some other new enemy?

She leapt over the remains of the window and surveyed the area. Strange parasitic kirema anima were—

Eating the books? What kind of a stupid idea was that?

One of the anima turned and lunged at Orla. Orla dropped to one knee and it leapt over her. She slid a knife out of her boot and whirled to face the kirema anima. It leapt at her again and she slashed at it. Moonfire flared across the blade and surged through the kirema anima, defusing it.

Another one attacked her from behind and knocked her to the ground. Orla rolled onto her back and crushed it beneath her. A third anima leapt on top of her and she rolled on the ground with it, trying to wrestle it off of her. She couldn’t get in a position to stab it with the moonfire dagger!

“Mew-Mew Lettuce! Metamorphoses!” shouted a voice. “Ribbon…Lettuce Rush!”

Water slammed into the anima and thrust it off of Orla. Orla scrambled to her feet and glanced around for her rescuer. It was a girl with bright green hair and a green outfit. Orla froze. With her hair and the white ribbons spiraling from her head, she looked almost exactly like Orla’s mom, Hailie—who had died in a fire four years ago.

“Are you all right?” the girl asked.

Orla nodded, mute.

“You have to get out of here!” the girl said. “It’s not safe!”

Then she whipped around and sent water at another kirema anima from the castanets she was holding. Orla backed away.

What was going on? Who was this girl? Why did she look so much like Hailie? And why were there kirema anima on Earth? Orla took another step back.

Orla turned around and ducked behind a bookshelf to transform so she could kick those anima’s butts. But she knocked into someone and fell over.

“Hey, watch it!” Orla said.

She looked up—and her blood ran cold.

It was Pai.

“What—what are you doing here?” she said, eyes widening.

No recognition crossed his face. Orla scrambled to her feet.

“What’s wrong?” she said. “Why are you so quiet?”

“Move aside, human,” Pai said.

He raised the fan in his hand and sent electricity at Orla. Orla had not been expecting that. The lightning hit her full on and she flew back. She smacked against a wall and landed on her feet shaking.

Shock coursed through her. Even in a human form, her father would be able to realize who she was!

“Why?” she said. “Why did you do that?”

She felt the lump in her throat rising. There might have been something in Pai’s eyes, but Orla couldn't tell. He really had forgotten, just like Leoti and Tanya had said. Tears pattered against the floor.

“It’s not fair,” she whispered. “I hate you. You promised that you would never leave me alone!”

Orla was shouting.

“How could you forget?” she screamed. “How could you forget me? How could you forget—how could you forget mom?”

She turned around and leapt out the shattered window. She didn’t stop running even after she was well away from the library. The sky was starting to get dark when she finally came to a stop. She sank to the ground and sobbed.

Then suddenly Leoti was there, hugging her.

“I’m sorry, Orla,” she said. “I knew. I knew the whole time.”

Orla cried even harder.

“I already lost my mom,” she said. “Why do I have to lose my dad too?”

“I’m going to make you a promise, Orla,” Leoti said quietly. “I won’t rest until I can bring them back. I promise that I will make Pai remember you if it’s the last thing I do.”

Orla still didn’t stop crying. It was too much.

High above them, Hailie let her own tears fall.


	21. Fiery Spirit – Blue Nymph—Blue Knight?

_ Ichigo ran through the darkness. _

Where am I?

_ Her thoughts echoed through the darkness. She stopped, panting. Why was she feeling such terror? _

_ Suddenly there was a flash of light. Ichigo screamed. Then she was running down a long corridor. She felt the presence of someone else beside her, but she couldn’t turn her head to see who it was. _

_ Then the light flashed in front of her again and she saw a figure standing at the end of a long chamber, face thrown into shadow. _

**Beep, beep, beep, beep…**

Ichigo fumbled for her alarm clock and fell out of bed.

“Ow,” she grumbled.

She felt awful. Her head was reeling and she couldn’t breathe through her nose. Her mom, Sakura came inside.

“Oh dear. Did you fall out of bed again?” she said.

“Yes…” Ichigo groaned.

She tried to breathe through her nose and made an awful sniffling noise.

“Uh oh, sounds like you have a cold,” Sakura said.

She walked over and helped Ichigo back into bed, then felt her forehead.

“It’s a fever,” she said. “You better stay in bed today.”

“But I have a date!” Ichigo said. “I promised Masaya!”

“If he’s as good as you think he is, then he won’t mind postponing it,” said Sakura. “Now you get some rest.”

She left the room. Ichigo instantly reached for her cell phone and tried to call Masaya.

“We’re sorry. The number you dialed is not available.”

“Come on,” Ichigo said.

She dialed Lettuce’s number.

“Hello?” said Lettuce.

“Lettuce-san, I got a cold and I’m supposed to meet Masaya today,” Ichigo said. “I can’t reach him, can you call him and let him know I won’t make it?”

“Sure, Ichigo-chan. Hope you feel better soon.”

“Bye.”

Ichigo hung up. She tried to stop herself from falling asleep and back into her nightmares, but it was too late. She sank beneath the waters of sleep.

* * *

“We’ll all go at the same time, separating them so that they cannot help each other,” said Pai. “It’s all very simple and foolproof.”

Kish nodded absentmindedly. He still couldn’t get last night’s dream out of his head.

_ He was running through a long dark corridor, his footsteps echoing through the empty building. Another set of footsteps ran next to him. Who was it? He couldn’t see who it was, but the presence was familiar… _

“Kish?” said Taruto. “You awake?”

Kish blinked, then shrugged.

“There shouldn’t be any trouble,” he said.

“Then let’s get started,” said Taruto.

Kish took off and flew towards Ichigo’s house.

_ It’s been too long since I’ve seen the little kitty,  _ he thought.

* * *

Mairead stumbled down the street. The strange sickness had hit her suddenly after school was over, causing nausea, dizziness, disorientation and cold sweat. She had no idea where she was going. She wasn’t even sure how she had lost the others. She just kept walking numbly forward, not able to think clearly about where she was going.

A buzzing sort of feeling filled her head, keeping all logical thought out. She couldn’t remember why she was here. She couldn’t remember anything. Slowly, she came to a stop behind a red car in an empty lot and sunk to her knees.

Who was she? Where was she? What was going on?

Suddenly there was an explosion on the other side of the car. Mairead thought she heard someone cry out in pain.

“I don’t want to hurt you Ichigo,” said a familiar voice. “Just come along quietly.”

Just like that the buzz was gone. It was Kish. The buzz may have been gone, but Mairead still felt dizzy. She could barely stand up.

“Why must you follow me like a shadow?” said a voice that Mairead didn’t recognize. “MEW-MEW STRAWBERRY! METAMORPHOSES!”

Pink light flashed around the car.

“For the future of the earth, I will be of service, nya!” said the voice.

There was a cough.

“Maybe that wasn’t really necessary...”

Mairead used the car to push herself up and peered around the car. Standing in the lot was a girl with a short pink dress and cat ears. A neko? Kish was floating above her, wearing some weird outfit. What was going on?

Kish laughed—but it wasn’t the laugh that Mairead knew.

“It must be terrible for you,” he said. “Despite having transformed, Ichigo is still Ichigo.”

The girl called Ichigo held up her hand.

“Strawberry Bell!”

Something began to form in her hand. Just then, Kish hurled something at Ichigo and she went flying into a tree.

Mairead felt a surge of shock. Why was Kish attacking her? She reached out with her mind, trying to brush against his. If she could just reach him; let him know she was there…

Her probe came up against a heavy wall. It was as if Kish had not found out how to communicate telepathically. What was wrong?

“Do you want to stop?” Kish said, grinning at the girl in pink.

Sais appeared in his hands.

“You know you can’t escape,” he said.

Mairead wanted to run out there and stop him, but her legs wouldn’t respond. Suddenly, the dizziness struck her again and she sank to the ground. Someone was walking up to the gate…

Kish was turning around to see…

Mairead clutched her head as the figure grew closer. It was like fire was burning through her veins and in her head, burning out all other thoughts except one.

_ Why do I know you? _

And she did know him. The tall, blue cloaked figure with blond hair and blue eyes, striding purposefully into the empty lot…

She knew him. But she didn’t know how.

* * *

Leoti stared at the computer, uncomprehending.

“What in the world…”

The Blue Knight had arrived, as she had predicted. But why were his energy readings so high? It couldn’t be right!

“Chantilly!” she called. “Take a look at this!”

Chantilly was there in an instant.

“Is this a malfunction?”

Chantilly stared at the screen and shook her head.

“This is perfectly fine,” she said. “But the readings are—”

“All wrong,” Leoti finished.

“That could only mean—”

“That means Mairead is in the same area,” Leoti finished the sentence again. “Which probably means that all hell is going to let loose.”

They exchanged glances.

“I’m going to get the girls,” said Chantilly.

“I’m headed out there right now,” said Leoti, shutting off the computer screen. “Remember, we want as little contact as possible.”

Chantilly grinned and winked.

“You do know who you’re talking to, right?” she said, disappearing.

Leoti sighed.

“Yes, I know exactly who I’m talking to,” she muttered.

* * *

Ichigo was dreaming again. She saw a tree immersed in light, little rainbow halos glinting in her eyes. Her eyes moved down the trunk to the foot of the tree where a strange shadow stood.

_ Who are you? _

There was no answer.

_ Have we met before? _

Silence.

_ Please, say something! _

The figure was starting to fade away.

_ Wait! Come back! Who are you? _

He was gone.

Ichigo slowly opened her eyes. The flash of steel caught her attention, drawing her gaze to the furious fight ensuing in front of her. Kish darted at the blue-cloaked figure recklessly, slicing forward with his sais in frustration. The blue-cloaked figure—hadn't he called himself Blue Knight?—blocked each strike with ease. Ichigo got the feeling he had power underneath his calm demeanor—power that might burst into life at any time.

Kish swiped at Blue Knight with a single sai. The Blue Knight blocked the blow and thrust forward with a powerful front thrust. Kish only barely dodged, taking a scratch to his cheek. He flew up to try and bring down a more powerful strike from above. Blue Knight flicked his blade up to block the move.

“Ichigo-san!”

The other mews charged into the lot.

“Ichigo, are you all right?” asked Lettuce.

“I'm fine now that you guys are here,” said Ichigo. “How did you get here so quickly?”

“It was really weird,” said Mint. “All the kirema anima suddenly burst into amber fire and defused.”

“The radish things that chased Pudding and Lettuce-oneechan got attacked by pink powder nanoda!” said Pudding.

Lettuce nodded to confirm.

“So, where did the blue fright come from?” Mint asked, pointing at the Blue Knight. (TOKYO MEW MEW FUNNY FANDUB REFERENCE!!!! ^-^)

Ichigo shook her head.

“I'm not sure,” she said. “He came to save me just in time.”

“Wow he's totally beating Kish's butt nanoda!” said Pudding.

“The way he fights...” said Zakuro slowly, watching the battle with a warrior's eye. “It's like...fire.”

Ichigo blinked, looking at the Blue Knight again. To her surprise, he did fight as though made of fire on the inside—calm and protective on the outside, but crackling with power inside that might go out of control with the right provocation.

“Augh! Watch out! No control! MEEEEEEPPP!!!”

Something small and blue fell from the sky, crashing into Kish.

“Whoops!! Sorry!!”

Someone small leapt off of Kish and darted behind the car. Ichigo didn't get a good look, but she did catch a familiar shade of brown hair and the glint of yellow eyes. Was it the girl that had been watching them in the cafe before?

The clang of metal against metal brought Ichigo back to the present. Kish was still on the ground from when the girl had landed on him. That had given Blue Knight an opening and he had taken it. Kish had only just managed to bring his sais up to defend himself. He now held his sais in an X shape, trying to hold the blade away from his neck. However, he was weakening quickly. The blade was drawing nearer.

“It was so quick,” said Zakuro, eyes wide. “I hardly saw him move.”

Kish was sweating. His hands were trembling from the exertion. Ichigo could see the fight could be ended in seconds.

“BLUE NYMPH METAMORAPHOSIS!”

A watery blue light flashed from behind the car.

“Wait, Mairead—” Ichigo heard someone say.

Something blue darted from behind the car, knocking into the Blue Knight and knocking him off of Kish. Kish rolled to his feet instantly—but then his movement ended as he stared at the new piece in the game.

For a second, Ichigo though she was looking into a mirror that reflected Blue Knight. Then she saw the differences. The new character was female, wearing a long blue dress instead of a cloak. Her eyes were icier than Blue Knight's and her hair was longer and loose. She drew a long sword from her back, the sapphire blue blade glinting like water.

As though in unspoken agreement, the Blue Knight and the new figure started to circle each other, both watching the other carefully. The girl made the first move, darting in a fluid as water. Blue Knight blocked the move with the force of fire.

Fire and water. Were they the same creature with different attributes?

The fight went faster than the one between Blue Knight and Kish. Both competitors seemed to know what to expect from the other. The first few seconds left them equally matched, each one parring the blows of the other. Then Blue Knight seemed to let loose the power that Ichigo had sensed just below his surface. His strikes became stronger and more explosive. The girl was faltering slightly. She managed to dodge his moves as though in a complex dance. However, there was a strange lethargic feeling starting to penetrate her moves. It was as though the presence of the Blue Knight was wearing on her. 

She thrust forward with her sword. The Blue Knight blocked and twisted the sword from her hand. The blade flew across the lot, clattering across the ground. Blue Knight darted in again. Suddenly the girl took out a long ebony staff to block the strike . She swept under the Blue Knight's sword and struck him in the stomach.

He stumbled back and the girl paused. It took the Blue Knight only moments to catch his breath again. He dove forward. The girl blocked and hit him in the stomach again, waiting for him to catch his breath again.

“Why isn't she attacking nanoda?” asked Pudding.

Ichigo was wondering the same thing. Blue Knight was fighting harder than her, attacking when she didn't expect it. But the girl only defended. Why?

In only a few more seconds, the Blue Knight had caught onto the girl's attack, dodging her staff and hitting her on the side of the head with the flat of his blade. The girl dropped to the ground, completely vulnerable.

“Crystal Shield!”

Something big and crystalline blocked the Blue Knight's final strike. Ichigo saw someone appear behind the crystal, but it was too thick to see. Then the shield vanished, leaving nothing behind. Even the girl's lost sword had vanished.

What on earth had just happened?


	22. Two Becoming Friends? - So Crazy It Just Might Work

Leoti sat in her study, staring but yet not staring at her computer screen. She flipped through ideas in her head, trying to decide on a course of action to break the memory curses on the three former Kyaldians. Her thoughts were constantly interrupted with doubts that whispered to her, telling her to stay out of it, to leave them alone, that this was the way it was supposed to work. Leoti forced the voices out of her head. She had to stay focused.

She blinked the sleep from her eyes and stood up. With long purposeful strides, she stepped over the piles of books and papers scattering the floor of her study to reach the small cabinet hanging on the far wall. It clicked open at her touch and she opened the doors. A silvery light poured from the open doors, emanating from the bowl sitting inside. Its silver contents swished around the bowl as though they had a mind of their own. 

Leoti stirred the liquid with her finger. Slowly, the contents cleared, forming a clear, window-like substance. Images played along the bottom, as though Leoti was staring through a skylight at the events playing out below. With a practiced flick of her hand, the images sped along, slowing at times so that she could inspect particular ones.

She sighed.

A small figure rose from the bowl, feet immersed in the liquid. The old man with half-moon glasses and a long silver beard wasn't looking at Leoti, but he wasn't not looking at her—it was because he was a memory.

“There are only two ways to break the memory curse,” he said. “A trigger and memory spheres, which you seem to have a natural affinity for, Leoti.”

He sank back into the pool.

“Natural affinity or not, memory spheres are dangerous,” Leoti muttered. “Killing Kish and the others will not help anyone.”

The trigger would have to do. But would the Cyniclons respond? People were supposed to generate the most memories, but Orla, Tanya and Mairead had already been seen by the former Kyaldians. The trigger should have worked by now.

Pieces began to fall into place in Leoti's head. Even though Kish, Taruto and Pai had seen people they used to know, the memory curse was too fresh and strong. They couldn't break free of the memories they believed were theirs. Seeing these people that they knew before was too foreign and they were subconsciously rejecting the memories.

Leoti could almost hear the gears in her mind whirring. The trio was definitely aware that something was wrong, but they pushed the thoughts away.

So then...

If they came into close contact from someone they knew in this reality...

Someone that was just similar enough to match someone they knew before...

It was so crazy it just might work.

Leoti thought a moment. Who was in this dimension that the aliens knew that might have an effect on them? It was there in seconds. Taruto and Pudding.

It was perfect. Leoti's heart beat faster. All she had to do was a simple dream manipulation spell and she could make events happen faster than they would have—

Leoti touched the fire charm around her neck.

“Chantilly I need you over here as soon as possible. Bring some of that dream powder stuff. And tell the Kyaldians that I need to talk to them.”

Finally, Leoti was making progress.

* * *

Pudding sped down the back corridor. 

_ Where is that rumbling coming from?  _ she thought.

Suddenly, she pulled up short, waving her arms frantically to avoid falling into the hold she had just found. Pudding peered down into the depths. Was there a bottom to this thing?

“What are those Cyniclons doing down there nanoda?” she wondered out loud. “Well, only one way to find out nanoda!”

Pudding pulled out her Power Pendant.

“Mew-Mew Pudding! Metamorphosis!!”

In seconds, Pudding was in Mew form. Without a second thought she jumped into the hold, sliding down it like a snow slope. Taking advantage of her momentum, she flipped into the air near the bottom of the cavern and landed on her feet. She looked around the huge cavern.

“You’re here already?!”

Pudding jumped slightly and turned to find the voice. She could see Taruto hovering cross-legged at the top of the cavern.

“Taruto! What are you doing down here, digging a huge hole nanoda?”

“I’m going to collapse this dome. What does it look like?”

Pudding stiffened.

“I won’t let you do that!”

Taruto flew down and landed next to her.

“You can’t stop me.” He turned away. “Gosh, kids are annoying.”

Pudding grinned and used her hand to measure herself against Taruto.

“Hey, look, I’m a little bit taller nanoda!”

“Shut up!” 

Pudding giggled.

“You’re always getting in the way,” said Taruto angrily. “Go, kirema anima!”

A giant scorpion like creature burst out from under the ground. It swiped a massive claw at Pudding. Pudding leapt out of the way. She jumped backwards to avoid the creature's attacks.

“Running away isn't going to stop it,” said Taruto, following her progress through the air.

“I...” said Pudding, jumping again. “...know that nanoda!”

She jumped again.

“Ribbon…Pudding Ring Inferno!” she shouted, sending a wave of energy at the kirema anima.

The yellow energy encased the kirema anima, sealing it in yellow jelly.

“Take that nanoda!” said Pudding triumphantly.

“Oh yeah?” said Taruto.

Another scorpion kirema anima burst from the ground right behind Pudding. Pudding only just managed to get out of the way of its claws. The kirema anima charged, Pudding running as fast as she could.

“I won't let you run away!” shouted Taruto. 

Pudding flipped onto a big rock. The second she landed, thin roots snaked out of the ground and wrapped around Pudding’s arms.

“What do you think of that?” said Taruto.

Pudding struggled against the vines. With a screech, the anima charged the helpless Pudding. Pudding froze, mind racing. How could she get out of this one? 

**_Screech!_ **

The kirema scorpion stopped, thrashing about wildly. It shook its massive head as though to get rid of a fly.

“Huh? I can’t control it anymore,” said Taruto.

“Ha! That’s so lame!” Pudding laughed.

Taruto gave her a dirty look.

“Shut up!”

The anima struck the ceiling, bringing a rain of dirt on top of its head. The cavern shook ominously. Pudding didn't have a second to even think of what it was when the ceiling crashed the ground.

* * *

When Taruto finally came to, it was dark. His head throbbed painfully as though he had a dent somewhere. Must have hit his head pretty hard. A spasm of pain shot through his leg. Something flashed through his mind—he remembered breaking his leg after being thrown into a wall by—a kirema anima? That was stupid. Taruto shook his head, trying to clear it. More blurred images and random thoughts were popping into his head like long-forgotten memories. But that was stupid. They didn’t make any sense.

Taruto focused on the recollections. Black fire was rushing all around him as he flew around and around as though trapped in a tornado. There was a flash of red, like a field of red flowers, then a flash of green and a piercing screech. Someone shouted something. Was that his voice?

“Kyalda Vine! METAMORPHOSES!”

Blue light flashed across his vision. He could see a blurred figure in white.

_ “You guys are Kyaldians!” _

_ “This is so cool!” _

_ “This is too weird.” _

_ The fiery cyclone in front of them continued to writhe. Suddenly it collapsed upon itself and then grew into a shape. Taruto squinted at it. What was it? Some sort of animal thing made of black fire? _

Another spasm of pain jerked him out of his thoughts. Carefully, he managed to extract himself our from under the boulder with nothing worse that a bruised ankle. After dusting himself off, he took a look around. A monkey tail was sticking straight up in the dirt. Must be Mew Pudding.

“What are you doing, being buried,” said Taruto, walking over.

He took hold of the tail and pulled as hard as he could. Pudding popped up out of the dirt like a carrot.

“Hey, are you okay?” 

The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

_ What am I doing? She’s my enemy! _

“The exit’s blocked. Serves you right," he said quickly to make up for it.

Pudding stood up and looked around. Then she turned to Taruto.

“Thank you!” she said.

This was the last thing that Taruto had expected. 

“For what?”

Pudding smiled.

“For saving me. Wait a minute.” She rummaged in a pocket and pulled out a small candy. She held it out to Taruto.

Taruto took it cautiously. He looked at it for a minute, then he glared at Pudding suspiciously.

“What are you up to? Why should I have this?”

“You know Taru-Taru, you don’t have to be a bad guy. It’s much more fun to play than to fight.”

The memory took Taruto by surprise.

_ “Race you to the trail head!” _

_ A Cyniclon girl with short brown hair half in pigtail and yellow eyes sped on ahead of him. Taruto instantly recognized her as the Cyniclon girl that had confronted him and Pai in the butterfly lady's house. _

_ “No fair, you got a head start, and you're a faster runner than me!” Taruto shouted as he tried to catch up. _

_ The girl skidded to a stop at the trail head. _

_ “And Tanya is the winner!” she announced. _

_ Taruto jogged up to her and stopped, panting. _

_ “Give me a chance once in a while, why don't you?” he said. _

_ “That's no fun!” said Tanya. “Plus, you need to exercise.” _

_ “Oh shut up,” Taruto grumbled. _

Taruto blinked out of the memory and looked at Pudding. 

“You’re weird.”

Pudding grinned at him. She looked around.

“Well, it looks like we’re going to turn into fossils down here.”

“Maybe you are, but I can teleport out of here any time.” Taruto grumbled.

Pudding just smiled at him. For some strange reason, Taruto didn’t want to leave.

Taruto looked away from Pudding. Well, the roof better not cave in again, or they’d be in trouble. He wondered briefly where the kirema anima had gone. 

He felt a sudden heat near his chest. Looking down, he saw a small necklace hanging around his neck. A green light pulsed softly in the center of a copper ring hanging from a black fabric strap. Where had  _ that  _ come from? It hadn’t been there a few moments before. The heat flared on his chest again. A kirema anima burst from the ground in front of him. He yelped and jumped backwards.

The kirema anima charged Taruto. He leapt out of the way, Pudding jumping over it and scrambling up onto a boulder. The anima ignored Pudding, and swiped a claw at Taruto. Taruto jumped into the air to escape, hovering above the kirema anima. Why was it attacking him? He didn’t notice the next swipe until it was too late to move out of the way.

“Ribbon...Pudding Ring Inferno!”

Claw and yellow energy met and exploded. The kirema anima was gone. Pudding stood in front of him. Taruto stared at her.

“You saved me,” he said disbelievingly.

She smiled. Taruto couldn't help it; he liked that smile. Suddenly Pudding wobbled on her feet, falling forward onto her stomach. 

“Hey! Wake up!”

Pudding didn't respond. What was wrong? It hit Taruto in seconds—the oxygen in the cavern was running out. He stared at Pudding, wondering what to do. The cavern rumbled ominously. Taruto couldn't think. What should he do?

“Oh forget it,” he said irritably. “It would be too boring if you died.”

Infusers appeared in his hands and he sent them deep into the ground of the cavern. He covered his ears as giant trunks burst from the ground, weaving themselves around and around the weakened supports of the dome. Taruto knelt down to pick up Pudding, then teleported out of the tunnel.

* * *

Taruto appeared outside of the dome and laid Pudding down on the ground.

“Hey,” he said, shaking her shoulder. “How much longer are you going to sleep?”

Pudding slowly opened her eyes. She got to her feet and stared at the trees surrounded the dome. Then she turned to Taruto with a smile.

“You saved me again, didn't you Taru-Taru?”

“Stop calling me that,” Taruto grumbled.

“Yay, Taru-Taru is a friend!”

Pudding jumped on Taruto, giving him a big hug.

“You're my friend, friend, friend, friend!”

“Get off!”

Taruto shoved her off. This didn't seem to faze her at all. Taruto grumbled under his breath. Then he looked up at Pudding. Her smile was pretty.

“Hey, Pudding?” he said slowly.

Pudding waited, watching him with that smile that Taruto really liked.

“Maybe—maybe we could be friends.” 

He knew he shouldn't be saying that. But for some reason, he didn't care. It felt like the right thing to do.

Pudding's smile widened.

“But, let’s keep it a secret for now,” said Taruto quickly.

“Whatever you say, Taru-Taru,” said Pudding, hugging him again.

“Oh stop it,” said Taruto, pushing her off again—but much more gently. The pair looked at each other for a long time.

“See ya.” 

Taruto took off into the sky and flew away. He knew Pudding was watching him as he flew. Far away as he kept flying, he opened his hand to look at the little candy drop Pudding had given him.

_ This sounds crazy to myself, but I swear I've met Pudding before. Or maybe someone like her. _

The thought seemed like a good one. He closed his fist around the candy drop again and flew on, teleporting into the between world.


	23. Kyalda Metamorphoses - A New Side of its Power

The waves stretched out across the beach and fell back, as though trying to touch the far away figures before deciding against it. Leoti listened to the Kyaldians with half an ear as she stared at the waves. They didn't make her dizzy from so far away, but she didn't want to have to get in the water.

“Wow!” said Tanya. “It's so pretty!”

“Yeah, and much bigger than the beach back home,” said Kendra.

“Tell me why we're here again?” said Bryn.

Leoti stretched, eyes closed to soak up the sunlight. She opened them at Bryn's words.

“The mews are going to be here in about four minutes,” she said, checking her watch.

“So?” said Kokoro. “Why do we care about them?”

Leoti rolled her eyes, but it was Meav that answered.

“Didn't you hear what Leoti told Kish before he went into the portal?” she said, raising a slanted eyebrow.

Even in a full human form, Meav still looked cat-like. Her slanted eyebrows and unnaturally green eyes were framed by her short golden hair, and her creamy skin looked so soft it might have been covered in a thin fur.

“She said not to forget Mairead,” said Kendra. “And boy did he ever.”

“Before that,” said Meav.

“Wasn't it something about Ichigo Momomiya?” asked Rikuto. “She was the girl they were supposed to find, right?”

Leoti nodded, about to speak. However, this time Chantilly answered.

“Hey, didn't you notice that girl with the pink dress and cat ears that Kish was fighting?” said Chantilly. “That, my friends, was Ichigo Momomiya. Also, she happens to be that red-haired girl that Mairead brushed against before school that first day.”

Leoti shot Chantilly an irritated look, tired of being interrupted. Mairead blinked, recognition in her eyes.

“And she was the girl in my dream,” she said. “The one where Kish—”

She stopped, as though unable to continue. Leoti took her chance to finally get a word in.

“Besides the fact that Ichigo and the mews are quite possibly the ally that Kish was sent to find, wherever the mews are, Kish, Taruto and Pai aren't far behind,” she said. “I don't want to pass up the chance to reach Taruto again. We made so much progress with our last effort; I would hate for it to be wasted.”

Tanya had been twitching impatiently as they talked. Finally she burst out,

“Well they're not here yet, can we please go swimming?”

The others looked at each other. Then they all started laughing. Tanya blinked.

“What? What did I say?” she said.

Leoti regained her composure, though a smile still lingered on her face.

“Despite the circumstances, Tanya is still Tanya,” she said.

Kendra ruffled Tanya's hair.

“Go on you chibi,” she said. “But don't get yourself too tired out in case we have to fight.”

“Yay!” said Tanya, racing down the beach.

“Well, let's go,” said Orla. “We can't have Tanya doing anything stupid.”

She jogged down after Tanya. Kendra and Bryn walked down together. Kokoro grabbed Rikuto's wrist and dragged him down with her, ignoring his protests that he didn't want to swim right now. Meav grumbled something about making sure they didn't get into trouble and walked swiftly across the sand. She still had that cat-like grace about her as she walked, drawing the attention of several guys sitting on the beach. Chantilly and Erinda glanced at Leoti. Leoti gestured at them.

“Go on ahead,” she said. “You know how I feel about water.”

Erinda nodded and strode down the hill. Chantilly winked at Leoti before charging down the beach.

Leoti sighed, letting the ocean wind envelop her. She really didn't mind water too much. She could swim all right and she wasn't afraid of drowning or sharks or anything like that. It was mainly what had happened in one particular body of water nearly twenty years ago...

Leoti pushed the thoughts from her head. There were more important things to worry about. Her senses tingled and she turned.

Ichigo, Mint, Lettuce, Pudding and Zakuro were headed down the beach.

_ “Chantilly. Target approaching at six o'clock.” _

Leoti had merely thought the words, but Chantilly had heard. She glanced over her shoulder, then walked over to Erinda to deliver the message. The mews had arrived.

Time for phase two of objective Rescue Taruto.

* * *

“Kyaa!!”

Pudding jumped up and down excitedly.

“It’s the sea, the sea, the sea!” she said, running down to the water. “It’s the sea nanoda!”

Lettuce giggled as she watched her young friend run around on the only empty stretch of beach. Moments later, Pudding raced back and dived into the chalet behind them to change into her swimsuit.

“What a beautiful beach!” Lettuce said.

Mint and Ichigo came out of the chalet.

“A chalet in a place like this,” Mint said. “Ryou never fails to surprise, does he?”

Ichigo laughed nervously.

“It’s everyone’s summer vacation after all…I guess…”

Mint glanced at Ichigo.

“Something wrong?” she asked.

“No, no not at all!” said Ichigo hurriedly.

Pudding charged past them with an inner tube, laughing. Ichigo ran after her friend to avoid Mint’s suspicious gaze. Walking down to the edge of the dock with Lettuce, she performed an expert dive and swam out into the ocean.

“This feels so nice,” Ichigo said.

A wave came up and splashed over her head, bringing Pudding along with it. Pudding surfed across the wave on her inner tube for a few brief seconds before it crashed on top of her.

Back on the beach, Zakuro was attracting attention from almost every guy within a two mile radius. Obviously she got tired of it because she stood up and walked into the sea with Mint, joining Ichigo and Pudding to swim. Ichigo popped out of the water and looked around for Lettuce. She was still sitting on the dock watching the waves. Ichigo wondered briefly why she didn’t join them, but then Pudding splashed Ichigo on the head with water and the two of them started a water fight.

Pudding swam off farther away to escape Ichigo’s water splashes, laughing the whole way.

“Don’t swim too far away Pudding,” Ichigo called, but Pudding didn’t seem to hear.

Ichigo didn’t think too much about it, thinking Pudding knew enough not to get into trouble.

Well, Pudding didn't get into trouble, but she sure ended up getting into trouble later.

* * *

Tanya ran after Orla with water in her hands.

“Stop chasing me!” said Orla, a grin on her face.

“I have to splash you first!” said Tanya.

Someone threw water at her from behind. Tanya whipped around and threw her handful of water at Chantilly.

“Got you!” said Tanya.

“Tanya, watch out!” said Kendra, laughing.

Rikuto hurled water at Tanya from behind. She ducked and ran into the water, swimming away.

“Doesn’t count anymore cause I’m already wet!” she shouted.

Tanya kept swimming, enjoying the feel of the cool water.

**_Smack!_ **

Tanya ran into someone headfirst.

“Oops! Sorry!”

“That’s okay nanoda!”

Tanya looked up. It was a girl about her age with bright yellow hair and brown eyes. It also happened to be the mew that had been underground with Tanya’s brother. Tanya hoped that her shock didn’t show in her eyes.

“Hi I’m Pudding what’s your name nanoda?” the girl said.

“I’m Tanya,” said Tanya.

“Pleased to meet you nanoda!”

Before Tanya knew it, Pudding had splashed her.

“I challenge you to a water fight nanoda!” said Pudding.

Instantly, Tanya liked this girl.

“You’re on!” she said, hitting the water at Pudding.

The two girls swam back and forth, splashing each other, chasing each other, and popping up from under the water. Tanya couldn’t remember when she had had this much fun with another girl her age. She had always hung out with her brother and her older friends.

Finally, the two girls wore down. Pudding swam back over to Tanya.

“That was fun nanoda!” she said.

“Yeah!” said Tanya.

They grinned at each other. Then Pudding looked confused.

“Is something wrong?” asked Tanya.

“You look like someone Pudding knows nanoda,” said Pudding. “But Pudding can’t think of it.”

Tanya tensed. She was probably thinking about Taruto. They were identical twins after all—the only difference was that Tanya had longer hair. But then Tanya thought of something. Maybe she should just tell Pudding about everything. Pudding was fun and Tanya hated keeping secrets.

“I’ve got it nanoda!” said Pudding. “You look like Taru-Taru nanoda!”

Tanya giggled at this new name for her little brother. He probably hated it.

“Can I tell you a secret?” said Tanya.

Pudding blinked. Tanya took a deep breath, and told Pudding the whole story.

* * *

Leoti felt it before she heard it. The high-pitched screeching slipped into her ears like a poison, making her feel suddenly nauseous. She glanced around the beach. No one else seemed to hear it. However, she saw a few girls suddenly looking worried and a little boy who had suddenly thrown up. She could hear a few shouts of an angry couple in the distance. That could mean only one thing.

Leoti jumped to her feet and strode swiftly down to where the Kyaldians were hanging out. Rikuto looked up.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

“Are any of you feeling sick, or angry for no reason?” Leoti said.

Everyone stared at her for a moment.

“Well, I am a little nauseous,” said Orla slowly.

Kendra furrowed her brow.

“I did just snap at Bryn for no reason,” she said.

“Yeah, I remember that,” Bryn grumbled.

“I knew it,” Leoti said softly.

She straightened.

“Listen,” she said. “Can you hear it?”

The group went still for a moment. Then Kokoro nodded.

“There's like a screeching,” she said. “Kind of like a bat.”

“Exactly,” said Leoti. “It's Kolora. She's using her banshee scream.”

“Banshee scream?” said Mairead. “That's the one that causes sickness, anger and worry for no reason, right?”

“Correct,” said Leoti. “She's obviously using it to catch us off guard. If we started fighting with each other, we'd have no way to rescue Taruto.”

“But I feel better now,” said Orla. “What does that mean?”

“The curse of the banshee scream is broken by realization,” said Leoti. “But since humans can't hear it, not to mention they don't believe in banshees, its usually quite effective.”

“But if we can hear it, what would be the point?” said Rikuto.

“Yeah, if we realized what was happening, there would be no point to her attack,” said Orla.

That thought had occurred to Leoti. But why else would she use the banshee scream? Was there something darker happening here? Leoti pushed the thought aside.

“Never mind,” she said. “I'll have to stop her.”

“Why not us?” said Kendra.

“Yeah, we could take her on!” said Orla.

Leoti shook her head.

“No, you need to stay here in case Taruto arrives. If we can't save Taruto, then everything is gone.”

She blinked.

“Incidentally, where's Tanya?”

Everyone looked around.

“I don't know,” said Orla. “I thought she was here a second ago.”

“No wait, she swam off after the water fight, remember?” said Bryn.

Everyone exchanged glances.

“We'll look for her,” said Kendra. “Leoti, if you need help with Kolora, call someone.”

Leoti nodded.

“Good luck,” she said.

They went their separate ways.

* * *

Tanya was feeling dizzy. She wasn't sure why, maybe it was all the waves she had ridden on. Pudding swam over to her.

“Is something wrong nanoda?” Pudding said, looking worried.

Tanya swallowed and put a hand to her head. Why was she so dizzy? She couldn't tread water anymore. She was sinking...

“Tanya-chan nanoda!”

Tanya's head slipped beneath the waves. She stared around her with an almost interested feeling. She felt dazed.

“Look, Pai!”

Tanya blinked. She knew that voice—didn't she?

“Earth has weird animals,” the voice said. “Look it's shaped like a star!”

“We mustn't let curiosity get in the way of our mission, Taruto,” said another familiar voice.

“Whatever.”

Something grabbed Tanya and she felt herself being pulled to the surface. Her head broke over the water and she gasped for breath.

“Hang on nanoda!”

Pudding dragged Tanya through the water. It wasn't long before they reached the shallows and Tanya was able to stand again.

“Thanks,” she coughed.

“Are you all right nanoda?” asked Pudding.

Tanya stared into the sky. It had suddenly turned dark and forbidding. Wind whipped around them with a near gale force. The waves were turning vicious, crashing against the shore.

“Let's get away from the water!” said Tanya.

“Right nanoda!”

The pair ran farther up the beach. Tanya looked around everywhere. Where were Leoti and the others? Were they looking for her? Had they been attacked? Tanya turned—and realized that Pudding was gone.

“Pudding-chan!” she shouted over the wind. “Pudding-chan!”

Her words were stolen away by the wind the moment they left her mouth. What was going on? She turned suddenly to the waves, a feeling of premonition spreading over her.

At that moment, a waterspout shot from the ocean, forming a tall pillar. Standing on top were two people she knew...

“Pai-sama!” she shouted. “Ototo-san!”

They couldn't hear her! Tanya struggled against the wind, trying to get closer. She heard a shout, but the words whipped past her before she could hear them. All she caught was something about mew mew and metamorphosis. Tanya took another step...and another...and

“KYAAA!!”

The wind snatched her up into the air. She fought to fly against the wind, but it was no use. She twirled through the air like a paper airplane in a hurricane, spinning until she felt sick. She caught glimpses of the ocean and the beach and more pillars of water that fell away to form giant sea creature anima. The images jumbled together, whipping past her so fast that she could barely register what she was seeing. Then suddenly the ground was rushing up to meet her.

Tanya smashed face first into the sand. Particles got into her eyes and nose. She pulled her face of the sand, gasping and trying to blink the sand out of her eyes. 

_ At least the sand cushioned my fall so I didn't break anything. _

Thinking quickly, she didn't try to push herself up in case the wind picked her up again. She looked around as much as she could without moving. She could see those strange kirema anima, surrounding five girls she recognized as the mews.

“Pudding-chan,” she choked out.

Reaching one hand forward, she dug her fingers down to the wet, firmer sand and pulled herself forward. She reached with her other hand and pulled herself forward again. Slowly, she inched forward on her stomach, not daring to brave the wind again. She could almost hear some sort of screech flying around her on the wind, like some deranged song.

A flash of amber caught her eye. She looked up and saw two people moving on the cliff in the distance. Amber fire burst into life, only to be beaten back by black fire.

“Leoti-oneechan,” Tanya whispered.

Now she was torn. Should she go help Leoti, of help her new friend Pudding? What about her brother? And where had her friends gone??

Tanya steeled herself. She didn't know where her friends were, and judging by what she knew of Leoti, Leoti didn't need much help. A yelp of pain confirmed her actions. She saw her friend Pudding getting shocked by a giant jellyfish. She was going to help her friend.

“Okay, teleport time,” she said.

She slipped into the rippling air and right back out where Pudding was about to get skewered by a giant sea urchin.

“Crystal Shield!” Tanya shouted.

A giant crystal flower bloomed into existence between the anima and Pudding. It even blocked the wind, allowing Tanya to stand up. She rushed to her friend and grabbed Pudding's arm.

“Pudding-chan!”

Pudding looked up.

“Tanya-chan nanoda!” she said. “You're still here nanoda!”

“Are you okay?” asked Tanya.

“Yes nanoda!” said Pudding.

The crystal flower shattered and Tanya pulled Pudding out of the way of another sea urchin attack.

“It's Taru-Taru nanoda!” said Pudding. “Does he still not have his memory nanoda?”

(Remember, Tanya told Pudding everything, and Pudding is innocent enough to believe without question. Not that she's stupid, she's just young and innocent.)

“Not yet,” Tanya shouted over the wind.

She would have added something more, but suddenly there was a cry.

“Help!”

Tanya whipped around and nearly fell over in the wind. Two boys were clinging to the posts of a dock.

“He fell in!” one of them shouted.

“Help!”

A little girl ran past the two boys and dived into the stormy waves.

“Iruka-chan can't swim nanoda!” Pudding shouted.

“Iruka-chan!” the girl in pink shouted.

Suddenly the girl in green shot out of the group and down the dock, diving after them into the storm-tossed sea.

“Lettuce!” the girl in blue shouted.

“Lettuce-oneechan!” shouted Pudding.

Fear blazed in Pudding's eyes.

“Lettuce-oneechan can't swim either nanoda!” said Pudding.

Tanya's Kyalda Key pulsed. It flickered, as though attracted to something in the ocean. Suddenly, Tanya knew what she had to do.

“I'll help your friend!” she shouted to Pudding. “Waste these anima for me will ya?”

Pudding's eyes widened, then she grinned.

“Sure thing nanoda!”

Tanya took off down the beach towards the dock.

“OTOTO-SAN!” she shouted.

Taruto blinked and looked around from his place on the water pillar. Pai looked down at his younger partner quizzically. Tanya waved her hands around.

“LOOK OVER HERE YOU BAKA!” she screamed. “I'M RIGHT HERE!”

Taruto looked down, seeming to see her. Even from this distance, she could see the gears working in his brain. She grabbed her Kyalda Key, feeling the light flicker wildly in her hand.

“KYALDA LIGHT RELEASE!”

The tiny light at the top burst free of the key zooming into the air. It shot towards Taruto and struck him hard in the chest, making him fall onto his backside. Then the light made a circle in the air and fell into the ocean.

Tanya waited, hoping against hope that she had done it right.

The ocean burst into light.

* * *

_ Taruto _

The glare of the ocean light was almost too much for him. He didn't want to look directly at it. Even Pai lifted his fan to shield his eyes. Taruto wanted to look away, but when the light had hit him in the chest, he could have sworn he heard something click.

He needed to look into that light. So he stared deeper into the depths of the ocean of light. Somewhere deep inside the ocean he saw images. Things that seemed vaguely and yet clearly familiar. He could see the the girl that looked just like him—except it was his sister and her name was Tanya. His name was Taruto Asai, not Taruto. Pai was Pai, and he hadn't always been so obsessed with computers. Kish was Kish, and he hadn't always been so aggressive.

He could remember transforming. He remembered Illishar and riding him, feeling better than when he flied on his own. He remembering racing Tanya to the trail head, having Spherical lessons with Takehiro and going down to the boardwalk with everyone. He hit himself mentally. He hadn't come to Earth to take it over. He had come to help Kish find the girl that was supposed to help them defeat Deep Blue.

Deep Blue...

He shuddered inwardly. He had heard Deep Blue's voice and felt his presence. He had taken orders from him instead of fighting him. What had happened to him? The memory of the dimension transfer struck him. He remember seeing Yuuto and then blacking out. Memories from this world came to him too. He remembering attacking his sister with the butterfly anima. He remember attacking the mews and creating kirema anima. He could remember Pudding in the tunnel and rescuing her. The memory made his cheeks go hot.

Suddenly the light from the ocean grew smaller, as though something was reaching the surface. Something burst through the water, shining even brighter than the ocean had. It was that green mew that had jumped into the water—with a fin made of Kyalda?

The light felt as though it shone through him, bringing back everything he had forgotten.

“Sunameri power,” Pai said behind him.

Taruto realized suddenly that Pai hadn't remembered. Why had it only worked for him? He snapped back to his senses. If Pai hadn't remembered—maybe he could pretend he hadn't! If he made contact with the others, he would be able to tell them what the other two were planning? He shuddered at the thought of being around Deep Blue again, but if it would help bring the others back he would do it.

He glanced down at the beach. Looks like this battle was nearly over anyway.

The light from Mew Lettuce had totally immobilized the kirema anima. At that very moment, Mew Ichigo was finishing them off.

“It looks like this mission is a failure, Taruto,” said Pai.

Taruto snapped back.

“Uh, yeah,” he said. “Let's go.”

He glanced down at the dock. The light from Lettuce had condensed into a small sphere that was floating back to a small figure on the dock. For a brief moment, Taruto and Tanya's eyes locked gazes. He grinned at her to make sure she knew. A huge grin spread over her face.

_ “Meet me at the cliff when you get the chance, we'll explain everything,” _ she said through their mind connection.

_ “Got it.” _

Taruto vanished away with Pai.

* * *

_ Tanya _

“Ugh!” Kendra groaned. “Beating up Kolora was hard work.”

“Yeah, especially with that wind that kept making my arrows go screwy,” Kokoro grumbled.

“We beat her in the end, didn't we?” said Orla. “In my book, that's all that counts.”

“Sorry, I couldn't help,” said Tanya.

“Don't say that again,” said Leoti. “If you had been there to help, Taruto wouldn't have come back. Not to mention things wouldn't have happened the way they should have.”

Tanya looked up questioningly at the older girl, wondering what Leoti meant. Leoti waved it off and glanced up and down the cliff ledge.

“So, is he going to get here anytime soon?” she said.

Tanya looked down at the ocean, colored red with the sunset. She could just barely see the mews down there, playing in the water. She wondered if Lettuce was swimming with them now, or if Pudding would ever respond to Tanya's question.

Suddenly the air rippled and Taruto stepped onto the cliff.

“Ototo-san!”

Tanya jumped on Taruto, knocking him over in a huge hug.

“Augh! Tanya! Not—breathing! Meep!”

Tanya got off of him.

“I can't believe you're really back!” she said. “I thought you were a goner!”

She sat up and crossed her arms.

“I told you that you would get into trouble without me. Didn't I say that?”

“Hey, if you had been in that place, you'd understand why we were taken by surprise,” Taruto grumbled.

Orla grinned.

“All that matter is that you're back, shorty,” she said.

“Hey, you're only a few inches taller than me!” Taruto protested.

Tanya stepped back, letting everyone else say hi to her brother. She glanced down the hill—and she saw Pudding running toward them.

“Tanya-chan nanoda!”

“Pudding-chan!”

Tanya ran over to Pudding and they gave each other huge hugs. Everyone stopped talking for a moment and looked over at the pair. Taruto started blushing visibly.

Tanya broke away from Pudding.

“What are you doing up here?” she asked. “Won't your friends worry?”

“Pudding told them Pudding was exploring nanoda!” said Pudding. “And Pudding had to answer your question nanoda!”

“Really?” said Tanya.

“Pudding says yes!” said Pudding.

“YAY!” said Tanya.

“Tanya,” said Leoti. “What question? Why is she up here?”

Tanya turned and grinned at them.

“Pudding-chan knows all about our mission,” she said. “She wants to help.”

Tanya couldn't help but notice her brother turning beet red.

“Awww,” she said. “So you really did find a girlfriend like I told you to!”

“Shut up,” Taruto grumbled.

Leoti groaned.

“Great. Two hyper people.”

She sighed.

“Well Pudding,” she said. “Can I trust you to keep this all a secret from the mews? At least for now?”

“Sure thing nanoda!” said Pudding. “Pudding wants to help nanoda!”

Leoti sighed again.

“Things are sure going to get interesting around here,” she grumbled.


	24. The Moon Still Shines - Pai's Wake Up Call

Orla leaned against the tree and pulled her hat down lower. She glanced around the park past the brim of her hat which hid her exotic silver eyes. Even Leoti’s illusion spell had trouble hiding Orla’s Moon Wraith traits.

Orla glanced towards the pond—and froze. Ichigo was walking over to the pond, holding a basket. Orla slid back behind the tree, not wanting to be noticed by the pink mew. She watched Ichigo through the leaves as the pink mew knelt next to the water. She took a duck from the basket and set it into the water.

Orla pushed back farther into the trees, noticing a boy from school walking over to Ichigo.

“Oh, Aoyama-kun!” said Ichigo.

She stood up and brushed the dirt off her knees. The couple walked over to a bench. Ichigo started talking about something called “the Water of Miracles.” Wait a minute, why was that familiar?

_ “…also known as Miracle water…” _

Orla drew in a breath. Had the mews discovered Kyalda? She blinked. One of its names had been Mew Aqua, hadn’t it? Did that mean Kyalda was connected to the mews? What about when Tanya had released the Kyalda and Mew Lettuce had absorbed it? Were there other powers of Kyalda that Orla didn’t know about.

Orla slipped away towards Leoti’s shop. Leoti had to hear this.

* * *

(A few hours later)

Orla sprinted across the park. Leoti and the others had taken too long discussing what to do with this new piece of information, so Orla had decided to check it out herself. She was going to Café Mew Mew to see what was going on. In moments, the café appeared in front of her and she came to a stop. She paused, wondering if it was still open. It’d be a lot easier to find something out if it was. If only Pudding had been around, then Orla could have asked her.

Suddenly Taruto appeared.

“You took off really fast,” he said.

“Well sue me for getting irritated,” Orla grumbled. “Too much discussion and not enough action.”

“Yeah,” said Taruto. “The sooner we get the others back, the better.”

Orla nodded, pushing the lump from her throat as the image of her father sneaked into her mind.

“Oh, it’s closed, just so you know,” said Taruto suddenly. “I just saw Ichigo go in in regular clothes.”

“Dang.”

Before Orla could decide on another course of action, Mint shot out of the café. She smacked past Orla, not even noticing Taruto. Orla fell over from the impact.

“What in the name of Blue?” she swore. “What just happened??”

“Good question,” said Taruto, watching Mint vanish into the distance. 

Orla’s Eversphere flashed. She sighed and stood up.

“I’m following her,” she said.

“What?” said Taruto, blinking. “Why?”

“I don’t know, okay!” Orla snapped. She caught herself.

“Sorry, Taruto,” she said. “I didn’t mean to snap.”

Taruto shrugged.

“It’s okay. I kind of get what you’re going through.”

He glanced up at the sky.

“Okay, I’m gonna get going,” he said. “Kish and Pai will start looking for me.”

“Right,” said Orla. “I’m going after Mint.”

They separated.

* * *

Taruto was just in time.

“Where were you, Taruto?” said Pai.

“Out,” said Taruto, trying not to make eye contact. It was really hard pretending he was the bad guy. Pai narrowed his eyes at Taruto, then started talking about something else.

“Deep Blue-sama has sent word,” he said. “Tokyo Mew Mew must be eradicated.”

Taruto felt nauseous just hearing Deep Blue’s name. Especially with the “sama” at the end.

“He really said that, huh?” said Taruto, putting his hands behind his head. “We’ve been trying our best haven’t we?”

_ Not,  _ he thought.

Pai ignored Taruto, looking instead at Kish.

“Kish, what it that?” he asked.

Taruto glanced over at Kish: it took all he had not to gasp. Kish was holding a small vial with a pale blue pulsing light inside. Taruto stopped himself from touching the Kyalda light under his shirt. That light was a fragment of Tanya’s Kyalda light—it had to be! No other Kyalda had such a distinctive blue color. (I didn’t make Tanya blue on purpose I swear! This just somehow happened!)

“Oh this?” said Kish. “I picked it up at the beach. After hearing about it, the true force of evolution on Earth.”

“Mew Aqua!” said Pai suddenly.

“Yep,” said Kish.

Taruto racked his brains, searching the memories from the time when he was Taruto. Had he known this then?

“What’s that?” he asked. (I can’t believe the actual script of the anime actually fit for this part! Taruto actually says that line!!!)

“Why wasn’t Deep Blue-sama informed?” asked Pai.

Taruto fought off another wave of nausea.

“The problem is, this is only a fragment,” said Kish. “Oh yeah, did you two want to try out my plan? If it works out, you might make Deep Blue-sama like you.”

_ That the LAST thing I want,  _ Taruto thought.

But the worst part of that meeting was when Kish explained his plan.

* * *

“They’re attacking the café!”

Orla looked up from the book she was reading. Taruto was suddenly in the shop, panting.

“What?” said Orla.

“Kish and Pai,” said Taruto. “They’re going to attack the café tonight!”

Orla dropped her book.

“But—Mint isn’t there!” she said. “I saw her send her power pendant to the café! She can’t fight!”

“Dang!” said Taruto. “Where is everybody else?”

“They all went looking for Kyalda fragments,” she said.

“Then you’ve got to get over to the café,” said Taruto. “I’ll contact you when we’re about to strike.”

Orla nodded and teleported. In seconds, she stood behind a tree, looking out at the café.

“Now to watch,” she murmured. “And wait.”

It seemed like weeks she was waiting behind the tree.

_ Where is Taruto’s signal? _

Suddenly the ground trembled. Orla almost fell over, but she managed to get into the air before she did.

“No time for waiting now!” she said. “KYALDA MOON! METAMORAPHOSES!”

_ Now where is the quake coming from? _

Ichigo, Lettuce and Pudding ran out of the café, transformed.

“Guess I’ll follow them,” Orla muttered, zooming after them.

After following the mews for a while, she was underground in a thin tunnel. She could just make out a pale blue light far ahead.

“Geez, how far did Tanya’s fragments go?” she grumbled.

“What is it Kish?” said a familiar voice. Orla swallowed. It was her father.

“Hurry up!” said Taruto’s voice. Orla heard an edge of uncertainty in his voice. He hadn’t been able to contact her…and now he was worried she wouldn’t show up.

“Not so fast!” said Ichigo’s voice.

Orla zoomed close enough to watch what was going on—without being seen.

“Digging like this to create an earthquake,” Ichigo continued. “Subway workers must be really angry.”

Orla groaned silently. Seriously, could she sound anymore juvenile?

“For the future of the Earth, we will be of service nya!” said Ichigo. “Speaking of which, hand over the Mew Aqua!”

Kish shrugged.

“Okay,” he said.

“What?” said Orla, forgetting to be quiet.

“What?” said Ichigo.

“What?” said Pai.

“Kish?” said Taruto tentatively.

Kish ignored all of them.

“But handing it over like this isn’t quite right,” he said. “How about adding a little something?”

Infusers suddenly appeared around him.

“In the name of Blue,” Orla swore.

The infusers latched themselves onto the glowing sphere. A giant blob-like turtle appeared.

“Of for the love of the moon,” Orla said. “Those three can’t take it on by themselves!”

“Strawberry Bell!” Ichigo shouted. “Ribbon…Strawberry Surprise!”

The bubbles bounced off an invisible shield surrounding the anima.

“How do you like that, kitty?” Kish laughed.

“Ribbon…Lettuce Rush!”

“Ribbon…Pudding Ring Inferno!”

The two attacks bounced off as harmlessly as Ichigo’s had. Orla saw Taruto looking around, as though trying to see if she had made it.

“No time for secrecy now,” Orla grumbled. “Moon Sabers!”

Her twin swords appeared in her hands.

“Ribbon…Moonshine SURGE!”

Silver energy lanced towards the monster, slicing through its protective shield.

“What?” said Kish, confusion showing through.

Orla ignored him, darting forward. The turtle thing shot one of its three heads at her. She leapt into the air to dodge and sent another wave of silver energy at the creature. It roared in frustration. Suddenly, lightning coursed through the air towards her. She dodged barely and whirled on her father. His fan still crackled with lightning. Anger surged through Orla. He didn’t remember her. He didn’t even care about her. Her anger swelled and silver fire swirled around her.

Silver energy burst off of her and the roof exploded. The anima thrashed angrily, stepping out onto the street. Orla turned away from her father and shot after the monster. She was going to get that Kyalda back if it killed her.

“Mew-Mew Mint! Metamorphoses!”

Orla darted into the smoke of the explosion. Mint was back! And so was Zakuro! They probably wouldn’t need her help now—not with Zakuro here.

“Ribbon…Mint Echo!”

The attack bounced off of a new shield. Orla paused. Maybe they would need some help. Suddenly Ichigo burst forward in a run, bending down with the her speed. She was going right towards the anima! Ichigo skidded to a stop and pushed off right before smacking into it. She was completely airborne—but they’d have to act fast before she landed.

“MINT!” Ichigo yelled.

“Ribbon…Mint Echo!”

The attack surged towards Ichigo. Ichigo somehow latched onto it, spinning through the air and letting go—so that the attack surged right into the eye on the back of the creature.

The creature roared—and vanished. Orla sighed, transforming back to normal and touching down gently to the ground. The Kyalda reappeared—and shattered. Water poured out into the street, washing Orla and the mew away. Suddenly the moon shone out from behind the clouds right onto Orla. The change was immediate. Orla shifted into a tall willow—thankfully in a copse of trees.

It was there that she could hear Kish and the others talking.

“That’s all Mew Aqua can do?” said Pai.

“Nope,” said Kish. “It was just another crystalline substance.”

He grinned.

“What we just saw was just a fragment of its true power,” he said.

Kish and Taruto vanished. However, Pai lingered for a moment. If Orla hadn’t been a tree right now, she would have held her breath. He turned slowly.

* * *

_ Pai _

Pai turned around. Was that a silver tree? He squinted. Why did it seem so…

Familiar?

Suddenly there was a flash of silver light behind him. He whirled—and stared into calm silver eyes. A strange silver-glowing woman floated there in front of him. She gave him a small, sad smile—then vanished.

Pai stared at the spot where the woman had been.

“Remember me, Pai,” a faint voice whispered. “Remember me.”

Pai paused for a moment. Then he returned to the dimension where Kish and Taruto were waiting. 


	25. Rainbow Stone — Zakuro's Secret Cousin??

Ichigo stared at two pretty silver rings.

“How cute!” she said.

A vague imagination of Masaya putting one of the rings on her finger drifted into Ichigo’s mind.

“Ichigo?” said Miwa.

“Eh?” said Ichigo.

“What is it? You’re blushing!” said Moe.

Moe and Miwa looked down at the rings.

“Oh, matching rings!” said Moe.

Ichigo’s face turned beet red. Her friends glanced at her with sly looks.

“You’re already THAT close to him?” said Miwa.

Ichigo waved her hand around frantically.

“No, no, I’m just imagining,” she stammered.

“About what?” asked Moe.

“Well I was thinking of getting a pair of matching rings with Aoyama-kun, locked in each others gaze…” Ichigo let the words flood out.

“Oh, Aoyama-kun,” said Moe.

Ichigo yelped and turned around to see Masaya behind her.

“Hello Ichigo,” he said. “What are you doing? Shopping?”

“Uh, well,” Ichigo said, cheeks still red.

“Guess what, Ichigo imagined about putting on a ring with you and you were looking at each other—” Moe started to say.

“Kyaa!”

Ichigo grabbed Moe and put a hand over her mouth.

“No, no, no, nothing like that!!” said Ichigo.

She could feel her heart pumping, her face getting warm…

_ Pop! _

Her cat ears pushed their way out of their hair. Ichigo leapt up and pointed.

“Ah! Look over there!”

Masaya, Moe and Miwa all looked away as Ichigo put her school bag over her head to hide her ears. Miwa furrowed her brow.

“What’s wrong?” she said, looking at Ichigo’s school bag.

“Well, uh, just in case it rains!” said Ichigo.

“But we’re in the arcade,” said Miwa.

“Oh, I think I’m late for work! See you later bye!!”

Ichigo ran away backwards, out of the mall and into the street. She was still running backwards when— _ smack!  _ Ichigo tumbled to the ground, school bag flying into the air.

“Oops!”

There was a small plop noise. Ichigo sat up, rubbing her head.

“Sorry,” she said. “I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

She looked up. It was a girl with long pale green hair and pale green eyes.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Ichigo blinked. The girl was holding Ichigo’s school bag—had she managed to catch it?

“Oh, yeah,” said Ichigo, standing up. “Sorry about that.”

The girl smiled and handed the bag back to Ichigo.

“No problem!” she said. “I do that all the time to other people. Everyone says I’m a bit air headed.”

Ichigo laughed a little.

“Yeah, I’ve been told that too,” she said.

The girl smiled.

“Oh, do you think you could help me?” she said. “I just got here, and I’m looking for someone.”

“Oh, sure!” said Ichigo. “Who are you looking for?”

“Well, her name is Fujiwara Zakuro.”

It took a minute for the words to sink in—then Ichigo stared at the girl.

“Zakuro? You’re looking for Fujiwara Zakuro?” said Ichigo.

The girl nodded.

“Do you know her?” she said anxiously. “I’ve been here for a whole day already and I can’t seem to find her.”

Ichigo looked into the sky.

“Well…” she said. “Here, come with me.”

“Thank you!!” the girl said.

She hummed something under her breath as she followed Ichigo to the café.

_ I sure hope Zakuro’s at work today,  _ Ichigo thought.

Ichigo and the girl walked the rest of the way to the café.

“Wow!” she girl said. “It’s so cute! Do you work here?”

“Yeah, part-time,” said Ichigo. “Come on, I think Zakuro’s here today.”

The pair walked up to the door. Ichigo pulled it open.

“Hello!” she said brightly. “Hey, is Zakuro—”

“Please oneesama! Let me attend to you!”

Mint’s voice cut off Ichigo’s question. Ichigo blinked at walked in.

“What’s going on?” she said.

Lettuce smiled nervously.

“Well,” she said.

“Ichigo-oneechan picked a bad time to show up nanoda,” said Pudding.

“Eh?” said Ichigo.

“Ichigo!”

Mint had turned on Ichigo with a furious look in her eye.

“You—” Mint stopped. “Who’s that?”

She was pointing at the green haired girl, who had finally managed to get in the door behind Ichigo. She saw Zakuro and smiled brightly.

“Oneesama!” she said, waving. “Oneesama!”

Ichigo shrank back when she saw Mint’s face turn vicious. Obviously, she didn’t like someone else calling Zakuro ‘oneesama.’

Zakuro had turned. A surprised look came across her face.

“Naieri-chan?” she said.

The girl bounced forward and hugged Zakuro.

“Long time, no see!” she said.

“Eh?” said Ichigo.

“Who—who are you??” said Mint.

The girl blinked at stepped away from Zakuro.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” she said. “I didn’t introduce myself.”

She bowed.

“My name is Fujiwara Naieri, Zakuro-oneesama’s younger cousin.”

“Eh???” said Ichigo. “Zakuro-san has a cousin?”

Naierinodded brightly.

“Sure does!!” she said.

“Naieri-chan,” said Zakuro. “What are you doing here? I thought you were studying in America.”

“I was,” said Naieri. “But I guess it was just a bit too exciting there. My mom transferred me back here.”

A shadow crossed Zakuro’s face when Naieri's mother was mentioned.

“It’s nice to meet you Naieri,” said Lettuce. “I’m Midorikawa Lettuce.”

“My name is Fong Pudding nanoda!” said Pudding.

“I’m Momomiya Ichigo,” said Ichigo. “And that’s Aizawa Mint.”

Mint still looked angry. Ichigo laughed nervously.

_ Jealous much?  _ She thought.

* * *

(Taruto's POV)

“Taruto. Is that information reliable?”

Taruto took a breath. Time to put this plan into action.

“Of course it is,” he said.

“The data is insufficient,” said Pai.

_ Dang! Gotta make them go for this! _

“Well by tomorrow at least we’ll know for sure,” he said. “I’m positive this is Mew Aqua.”

Kish yawned.

“Well, maybe I’ll take a look,” he said.

_ Yes! _

* * *

(Ichigo's POV)

Naieri watched with bright eyes as Zakuro rehearsed the jewelry show. Ichigo couldn’t help but notice how cheerful Zakuro cousin was—almost a polar opposite of Zakuro. Naieri looked over at Ichigo.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

“Oh, no,” said Ichigo. “Just spacing out.”

Naieri smiled.

“Yeah, I do that too,” she said.

She looked back at Zakuro.

“My cousin is so good at that,” she murmured.

“Eh?” said Ichigo. “Good at what?”

“Modeling,” said Naieri. “My mom wanted me to do that. I just never got the hang of it.”

She sounded so sad, it made Ichigo wonder.

“Hey,” she said. “Are you, uh, staying with your mom?”

Naieri shook her head.

“No,” she said. “Mom didn’t want me to stay with her.”

“Why not?” said Ichigo. “You’re so nice!”

“Oh, thanks,” said Naieri. “It’s okay though, I found a friend that I’m staying with.”

But Ichigo wondered if it really was all right.

A few hours later, Ichigo decided to ask Zakuro.

“Um, Zakuro-san,” she said. “Is there something wrong between Naieri and her mom?”

A shadow crossed Zakuro’s face.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to bring something up that was bad or anything!” said Ichigo. “Just—forget I said anything—”

“No, it’s okay,” said Zakuro.

She sighed.

“Naieri had a lot of troubles during childhood,” she said. “Her mother wanted her to go into acting or modeling like I did. But I don’t think Naieri was really meant for it.”

Ichigo bit her tongue. She wanted Zakuro to keep talking, so she didn’t want to say anything and destroy this rare moment of Zakuro actually saying more than a few words at a time.

“Naieri's father had left them a long time ago—he was an alcoholic and often violent,” said Zakuro. “I think her mother saw Naieri as a reminder of the husband she now hated.

“So when Naieri didn’t show any acting or modeling talent, she started to ignore Naieri.”

Ichigo nearly drew blood as she bit down on her tongue to keep the angry outburst from coming out.

“She makes sure Naieri has enough money for school and necessities, but beyond that, Naieri's on her own.”

Zakuro trailed off, looking somewhere into the middle distance. Ichigo stayed quiet for a moment to make sure Zakuro wasn’t going to say anything else.

“That’s just stupid!” she said. “What mother would ignore her own child?”

Zakuro shrugged.

“Not a very good mother,” she said. “I almost wonder where Naieri is staying right now.”

Ichigo put a finger to her chin in thought.

“I think she said she was staying with a friend,” Ichigo said. “I can’t remember if she said who.”

Zakuro looked thoughtful for a moment. Then someone called her over for another take of the rehearsal and Ichigo was left on her own.

(At this point, Ichigo’s story follows episode 24 where she meets the girl with the Rainbow Stone. However, that’s not important to our story, so we’re going to skip over it.)

_ The evening after the Pop Jewelry rehearsal, before the actual show _

Naieri skipped on ahead, cheerful as ever. Zakuro trailed behind her. She had decided to see who exactly this friend of Naieri's was.

“So who are you staying with?” she asked.

“Oh, it’s a friend,” Naieri said. “His name is Takehiro.”

“He?” said Zakuro, raising her eyebrows.

“Oneesama, you know I won’t do anything,” Naieri said.

“I know you won’t, but you’re an easy person to convince,” said Zakuro.

“He’s not that kind of person,” said Naieri.

Zakuro followed Naieri the rest of the way down the darkening street. They came up to a small traditional style house surrounded by neat gardens. Exotic smells wafted around Zakuro, making her feel fresh and alert. There were flowers of every shape, size and color—some that Zakuro had never seen before.

Someone was standing in one of the pathways, watering a few flowers. He looked up and smiled when he saw Naieri.

“You’re home early tonight, Naieri-san,” he said.

Zakuro could feel that Naieri would be safe with Takehiro. His eyes were warm and kind. However, Zakuro wasn’t content to leave it only to instinct.

“Hi Takehiro!” said Naieri. “This is my cousin, Zakuro!”

Takehiro stood up and bowed.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said.

Zakuro bowed back, but she kept her eyes on Takehiro, studying him. Her instincts told her that he was safe, but she still wanted concrete proof that her cousin was in good hands.

“Would you like to come in?” Takehiro asked Zakuro.

“Yes,” said Zakuro. “I want to make sure my cousin will be okay here.”

Takehiro smiled kindly.

“She's takes care of me more than I take care of her,” he said. “I can't cook a thing by myself.”

“Come on, oneesama!” said Naieri. “Come inside!”

Zakuro followed her cousin inside. The house was bright and cheerful, decorated with the flowers from the garden and painted in soft colors.

“Takehiro's really good at playing the piano,” said Naieri excitedly. “He's teaching me so I can write my songs better!”

“Really?” said Zakuro.

Takehiro nodded.

“She really doesn't need any help,” he said. “She has a natural talent for it.”

He stared at a box of rice.

“So how does this go again?” he said.

“Oh Takehiro-sensei!” said Naieri, taking the box. “I'll do it. You'll just burn it like you did yesterday! Remember when the fire alarm went off?”

“How could I forget?” said Takehiro.

Zakuro continued to study Takehiro while he wasn't looking. She blinked, noticing something strange. She narrowed her eyes. Was it just her imagination or...did Takehiro have pointed ears?

Dread filled Zakuro's stomach.

Was Takehiro a Cyniclon?

“Zakuro-oneesama!”

Zakuro blinked.

“What?” she said.

“Did you want to hear me play the piano?” said Naieri. “I could practice while the rice is cooking.”

Zakuro's eyes softened. It was probably just her imagination. Anyway, Naieri seemed so happy.

“Of course,” she said.

“Yay!”

Zakuro followed her younger cousin into another room adjoining the kitchen. The only part of this room was a piano. Naieri sat down, place her fingers gently on the keys and started to play. The music filled the room like a gentle breeze, rising and falling like waves. The music filled Zakuro up, making her feel calm. She narrowed her eyes. Was it just her, or did she hear a violin along with the piano? She glanced at Takehiro, but he was sitting quietly with his eyes closed, a small smile on his face. Looking around the room, she didn't see a radio or anything. She turned back to look at Naieri. The music suddenly felt almost...

... _ magical. _

* * *

(The next day, Taruto's POV)

“Oh, you guys are already here?” said Taruto.

“Taruto—I mean Taruto!” said Pudding.

Taruto sighed mentally; glad that Pudding caught herself.

“I found this Mew Aqua you know,” said Taruto. “Don’t try to steal it.”

He really hoped that Pudding understood the look in his eyes—the one that meant, we haven’t found it yet as far as I know.

“I’m not trying to steal it, I’m the one that found it first nanoda!” said Pudding.

She nodded almost imperceptibly to let him know she had gotten the message. Then she, Lettuce and Mint ran off in the opposite direction.

“Hey, wait!” said Taruto, flying after them.

He saw them skid to a stop up ahead.

“There it is!” said Lettuce.

“Rainbow Stone!” said Mint.

“We found it!” said Pudding.

Pudding and Taruto exchanged glances. Then they both dived for the Rainbow Stone.

“Time to pretend to fight,” he whispered to her.

“Got it nanoda,” she said back.

Taruto winced when Pudding pulled on his ear. The pair of them rolled across the ground until Pai and the other two mews went on. Then they got to their feet.

“You were extremely convincing,” said Taruto, rubbing his throbbing ear.

“Sorry nanoda,” said Pudding.

“Never mind,” said Taruto.

Kendra ran into the corridor.

“How’d it go?” she said.

“As far as I know, Pai is still chasing them,” he said. “At least I hope he’s still just chasing them.”

Kendra nodded.

“Orla and Mairead are somewhere up ahead,” she said. “And Ichigo is doing an awesome job of distracting Kish for us so I didn’t have to do anything.”

“Do you think this will work?” said Taruto.

Kendra avoided Taruto’s gaze.

“I don’t know, squirt,” she said. “I sure hope it will.”

* * *

(Mairead's POV at the same time)

Mairead slid down the hall, listening carefully to make sure Pai and the others weren’t coming towards her yet. As far as she could tell, they were still towards the back of the stage. She cupped the small shard of Rainbow Stone in her hand, remembering the plan.

According to Leoti, Rainbow Stone was an extremely rare and powerful jewel. It reacted to Mew Aqua/Kyalda, but more importantly, it held energy—more energy than a normal jewel could. And unlike other jewels, it could also hold memories.

The main Rainbow Stone was being pursued by the mews and Pai—if Pai picked it up and Leoti said the right words, it would project the stored memories into Pai’s mind—possibly awakening other memories. It was risky, but possible.

Mairead’s job was to try and get the second Rainbow Stone into Kish’s hands. She was hoping and praying for this to work…

There was the door! Mairead could hear Kish’s voice—the mocking tone that she had by now gotten used to. She could also hear Ichigo’s voice. That wasn’t part of the plan. How would Mairead get close to Kish if Ichigo was there?

Suddenly, she heard Ichigo scream. Blinding light shone out of the door.

“No! My eyes!”

“Finish her off kirema anima!” said Kish.

Ichigo screamed again. Mairead bolted forward. No stopping now—

She smacked into someone and tumbled back, the Rainbow Stone flying from her hands. She could have sworn she saw Masaya running past her—then there was a flash of blue light and Mairead heard the thunk of something big slamming into something metal. Mairead crawled over the door, peering past the blue light…

It faded, and she saw Blue Knight standing in front of Ichigo.

“Blue Knight!” Ichigo said. “You’re here too!”

“I’m always watching out for you,” the Blue Knight said.

Mairead ducked behind the door as Lettuce and Mint ran past her and into the room with Ichigo.

“Mew Ichigo! They took the Rainbow Stone!” said Lettuce.

Well, phase one of the plan had gone smoothly.

“Oh no!” said Ichigo. “We have to get it back!”

“Let’s deal with this first,” said Blue Knight.

“Right,” said all three mews at once.

“Good,” said Kish, giving a scary smile.

* * *

(Naieri's POV at the same time)

Naieri watched her cousin’s performance with wide eyes. She wondered vaguely where Mint, Lettuce and Pudding had gone. Takehiro stiffened beside her.

“Naieri-san. Something’s not right,” he said.

He had barely said the words when suddenly the lights went out. Zakuro looked towards the backstage with a knowing look and ran back. Naieri jumped to her feet.

“Takehiro-sensei!” she said.

He nodded and they both moved towards the back of the stage.

* * *

(Mairead's POV a few minutes later)

Blue Knight charged the diamond kirema anima. His sword clanged uselessly against the hard layers of diamond.

“Ribbon Mint Echo!”

“Ribbon Lettuce Rush!”

The creature folded in and absorbed the attacks, shooting bolts of light back at the mews. Mairead winced in sympathy. What could she do?

“It’s useless,” said Kish. “It reflects all attacks.”

“It doesn’t even seem to have a weak point,” said Ichigo.

“Don’t give up,” said Blue Knight.

Mairead watched in incredulity. He never gave up! Mairead almost had to admire him, though she still had a grudge against him for attacking and nearly killing Kish.

“Can you hit it with another attack?” Blue Knight asked.

“Yes!” said Ichigo.

“Then I'll leave it to you,” said Blue Knight.

He charged the creature again with about much success as the last time. He leapt above the creature.

“Ribbon Mint Echo!”

“Ribbon Lettuce Rush!”

The attacks hit the creature just as it drew into its shell. Then Blue Knight came down hard on top, slamming it into the ground. It withdrew from its shell, laughing—then Mairead realized what Blue Knight had done. The anima couldn't move now.

“Ribbon Strawberry Surprise!” Ichigo shouted.

The bubbles hit the kirema anima directly this time and it disappeared. Blue Knight slid away into the shadows where Mairead couldn't see him.

“We did it!” said Ichigo.

“Well, I successfully delayed them,” said Kish, vanishing in a ripple of air.

Mairead rolled her hand into a fist. She had failed. Kish still didn't remember her—and she had lost her shard of Rainbow Stone. As the tears started to fall onto her dress, she hoped that Leoti and Orla were more successful.

* * *

(Leoti's POV at the same time)

Leoti took a deep breath. Pai had the Rainbow Stone in his hand. The words of the Ancient Language were on her lips...

_ Smack! _

Leoti tumbled to the ground as a whip of purple light flashed across the backstage.

“Oh no! I ran into somebody again!:

Leoti looked up into pale green eyes.

“You—who are you?” said Leoti.

“Fujiwara Naieri,” said Naieri. “Oh, but I was following Zakuro! Where is she?”

Leoti heard the whoosh of air that meant Pai had vanished. She slumped down. She had missed her chance. Pai still had no memories, and she had failed. Naieri cocked her head.

“Are you, by any chance named Leoti Azarola?” she said.

Leoti was on her feet instantly.

“How did you know that?” she said, hand at her belt where her sword was hidden.

“I know somebody who talks about you,” said Naieri.

She stepped closer and whispered a name into Leoti's ear that made Leoti's heart race.

“I think,” she said. “That we need to talk.”

Naieri nodded. When Naieri was gone, looking for her cousin, Leoti looked at the ceiling.

“A failure in some ways,” she said. “And yet a success in others.”

She took a breath and stepped into the air—away to her shop where the others were probably already waiting.

* * *

(About a week later, Naieri's POV)

“You're leaving? Already?”

Naieri nodded sadly.

“I want to study music in Europe for a while,” she said. “I just stopped here to say hi.”

Ichigo drooped.

“I'm sorry!” said Naieri. “I'll come again in about a year. This time for good.”

Zakuro stood stiffly to the side. Naieri turned to her cousin.

“How about a hug before I go?” she said, holding her arms out.

She hugged her older cousin tightly.

“Don't worry,” she whispered. “I'm not doing this cause my mom asked me to. She doesn't even know.”

“I just hate seeing you jump from place to place like this,” said Zakuro. “I wish you'd find someplace safe.”

“I will,” said Naieri. “But you know, I've got my whole life ahead of me. I'll find it soon.”

She pulled away and bowed to the other girls.

“It was really great to meet you all,” she said. “I hope that we'll see each other again.”

“We will,” said Lettuce.

Naieri nodded.

“Yeah, I guess so!”

She lifted her bag.

“Well, I'm off to catch my plane!” said Naieri. “Wish me luck in Europe.”

“Good luck nanoda,” said Pudding.

Naieri walked off down the path. As soon as she was out of sight, she turned into the trees. A soft hum greeted her.

“Yes, I'm back,” she murmured.

The hum intensified. Light reflected off of white pearl scales.

“Don't worry, I will,” Naieri said. “Yes, I know.”

Naieri stroked the scaled muzzle.

“I love you too, Chime,” she whispered. “Now let's get back.”

No one noticed the bright white dragon lift into the sky and vanish into a rip in the air.


	26. Spirits Entwined – I Will Protect Kish!

_ Leoti _

Leoti stared blankly into the computer. She was so tired she could barely focus on the blinking screen in front of her. She sighed and let her head rest on her desk. It had been a long night, thinking, planning, thinking Mew Aqua reacted on the screen and then finding that it was a false alarm, that sort of thing. All Leoti wanted was to sleep—but there wouldn't be much time for that. After the last two failed missions, Kish and Pai seemed as unchangeable as ever. (you're not really supposed to know about the failed missions...I would have written about them, but all I really wanted to do was write this chapter so deal with it!!! And I do hint at one mission, so just pay attention!)

Leoti had thought over plan after plan, but none of them seemed plausible. She had considered trapping Kish alone with Ichigo the way she had gotten Taruto and Pudding together, but every time she visualized that one, she came up with either Kish taking advantage of Ichigo in unspeakable ways or Ichigo killing him when he tried. Neither of those were preferable outcomes. Lettuce and Pai together had been another idea, but Leoti was loath to put a mid-thirties guy alone with a twelve-year-old girl—no matter how much she looked like Hailie or how much Leoti had trusted Pai.

She cringed inwardly thinking of the last plan with the Rainbow Stone. Sure it had amazing memory storage powers, but at that close a range to a drop of Mew Aqua? It was a wonder she hadn't destroyed the whole building. She swore mentally at Kish for carrying that tiny fragment of Crystalline Kyalda in the first place.

Even Hailie's unexpected appearance in a spirit form that night with the Kyalda hadn't brought back Pai's memories. Pain throbbed in Leoti's breast. If Hailie couldn't bring Pai back, what could? She could still remember the night when she had accidentally overheard the younger couple twelve years ago. Their voices had been so full of love for each other—and then that terrible fire had ripped everything away and Pai hadn't been the same ever since.

“What can I do?” she murmured.

She touched the emerald dragon's scale hanging around her neck, feeling the warmth that still hung about it as though still attached to the dragon. Sunlight glinted off of its gem-like surface—it also glinted off of something gold in the corner. Something that wasn't supposed to be there.

Someone was in Leoti's study. And it hadn't set off her alarms.

Leoti dropped from her chair in case of arrows or guns, weaving a shield around her as she clasped the hilt of her sword. In a fluid motion, sword in hand and fire sparking at her fingertips, she sprang to her feet to face the intruder—and stopped.

Dark violet eyes held Leoti spellbound, frozen. Who was this girl?

She was an inch or two shorter than Leoti, yet the way she stood, so firm and regal, made Leoti feel inferior. The intruder wasn't extremely pretty: her hair was a dull sandy blond and her features were plain. Even her velvety purple dress was unadorned except for a strip of gold lining across the collar. The golden glint that had drawn Leoti's attention came from a thin gold circlet around the girl's head. But beyond the plain features, Leoti felt power. Power carefully hidden, but still radiating off of every inch of this girl's being—especially her deep violet eyes. 

Leoti couldn't break away from the gaze, no matter how hard she tried. She couldn't move—she could barely think, let alone speak. She wondered vaguely if she was going to die. 

Then the girl spoke.

“Looking for a way to fix the mistake you made?”

A faint smirk played about the girl's lips and Leoti thought she caught a glint of fangs. But more than the possibility of fangs, the girl's voice was just as entrancing as her eyes—like a cool breeze on a summer's day—but fraught with danger like a storm just on the horizon, brought along by that cool summer breeze. The girl continued to speak.

“The light rests at the foot of mirrored confrontation,” she said. “Watch your step—and everyone else's.”

Then—Leoti hadn't even blinked—she was gone. There was nothing to suggest that she had been there at all. The spell lifted from Leoti and she sank to the ground, aching everywhere from not being able to move. How long had it been? A few minutes?

Leoti glanced up at the computer screen—and her jaw dropped open. The computer clock told her that she had been there for almost five hours!!! It was almost eleven o'clock already!!

Leoti scrambled to her feet and closed her eyes, running her magical senses over the whole room. It stank of Fairyland—or more accurately, Between. She had almost been lured out of her dimension, where time flowed differently. Anxiously, Leoti checked the date, remembering that some occupants of so-called Fairyland hadn't returned for years. Luckily, it was still the same day it was when she had seen the girl.

The girl. Leoti sank into a chair. What had her words meant? Had they meant anything? What kind of creature had she been—one of the Fayrie, perhaps? Or was she a yokai like Ren and Yuuto? (Fayrie are any spirit-like or magical creature formed at the beginning of Creation, e.g., Elemental spirits, banshees, demons, etc. etc.)

_ “The light rests at the foot of mirrored confrontation.” _

Leoti sighed and closed her eyes. Why couldn't any of the Fayrie give straight answers for once? Didn't it get old?

The computer dinged and started to flash red. Leoti turned to it and pressed a key. Instantly, a fluctuating set of bars flashed onto the screen, flashing 'extremely high concentrations' in big red letters. Leoti switched to video feed and typed in the coordinates that had been listed on the previous screen. Tokyo Tower flickered into view.

Grim realization flooded Leoti.

_ Mirrored confrontation,  _ Leoti thought.  _ Tokyo Tower is an exact copy of the radio tower back on Synoch. _

She switched to aura mode and watched the green aura fill the screen, covering up human auras scattered around the tower.

_ And the light at its foot?  _ Leoti thought.  _ What else but Kyalda? _

The screen blinked as if in agreement.

* * *

_ Kish _

Kish grinned, watching Pai's computer screen to see that the cocoon had grown over ten times its original size overnight.

“A few more hours and Tokyo will become a toxic wasteland,” he said.

Taruto coughed and Kish glanced at him. Instantly Taruto was ignoring Kish again, watching the screen. For some reason, Taruto had seemed strange since that attack at the beach had gone wrong. Kish briefly wondered why, and then decided it wasn't his problem.

Pai switched the screen to show the kirema moles burrowing.

“How are the moles doing?” Taruto said.

“There hasn't been a signal yet,” said Pai.

“They'll find it eventually,” said Kish.

But he was laughing on the inside at how the other two had totally fallen for his trick. Those kirema anima couldn't find Mew Aqua if it was sitting on their long noses. 

Suddenly the blinking dot stopped. It dived down. Kish grinned. Showtime.

He pushed forward.

“Bingo!” he said. “It found a Mew Aqua.”

He turned.

“I’m going to Tokyo Tower,” he said. “I’ll leave the Mew Aqua to you two.”

In moments, he had stepped out into the air above the tower. He grinned, baring a small fang.

“It's showtime,” he murmured.

* * *

_ Ichigo _

Ichigo barreled down the street, hearing the loud foot steps of her friends beating behind her like war drums. She ignored her heart hammering against her ribcage as though trying to escape and the sudden shortness of breath she was experiencing. There was no time to stop—they had to get to Tokyo Tower!

She had only just made it into the the square when an all-too-familiar voice assaulted her ears.

“Hey kitty-cat. That was faster than I had expected.”

Ichigo didn't waste time retorting.

“Come on girls!” she shouted. “Mew-Mew Strawberry!”

“Mew-Mew Minto!”

“Mew-Mew Lettuce!”

“Mew-Mew Pudding!”

“Mew-Mew Zakuro!”

“METAMORAPHOSES!”

In a bright flash of light, Ichigo felt her ears and tail sliding out, as though they belonged there. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as her body prepared herself to fight.

“Well, you sure don't waste time,” Kish smirked.

“Shut up!” Ichigo snarled. “Ribbon Strawberry Surprise!”

The assault narrowly missed Kish as he darted to the side.

“You'll have to do better than that, kitty,” he laughed.

Ichigo readied another blast, but Zakuro grabbed her shoulder.

“He's trying to make us waste our energy,” Zakuro said. “Save it for the kirema anima.”

Ichigo sent a glare at the snickering Kish, then followed Zakuro up to the top of the tower where the monster waited for them.

* * *

_ Orla _

“But you said the memory spheres were too dangerous!”

Leoti ignored Orla. Orla clenched her fists.

“Listen to me Leoti! You told us you wouldn't risk it! You told us they might kill you—or Kish and my dad!”

Leoti shook her head.

“We have no other choice,” Leoti said. “I've tried everything else I could, Orla. Pai and Kish just aren't receptive.”

Orla tried to force back her tears. She was terrified. What if something went wrong? What if Kish and her father died? What if Leoti died? What if... Orla's mind threatened to explode with the 'what ifs.' 

“No time to go back now,” said Kendra. “Look up.”

Orla looked up. At the top of the tower, the tell-tale flashes of the mews attacks hammered at the cocoon. Orla squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again.

“Okay. Let's do it.”

Leoti nodded and pulled the two small spheres from her bag.

“Just little longer to wait,” Leoti murmured. “Just a little longer.”

Orla wasn't sure she could survive the wait.

* * *

_ Ichigo _

(about fifteen minutes later—the moth has now hatched and it's raining heavily.)

The moth surged toward the glass windows of the observatory.

“NO!” Ichigo screamed.

Without even thinking about it, she hurled herself in front of the moth's path. A crash and a shatter of glass rang through her ears, rendering her sense of hearing useless for a few seconds. Glass cut into her back and the pain of impact sent tremors down her spine. Somehow, she managed to hang on, grasping at the moth's thick furry body. In a few minutes, she had gained enough sense to call up her weapon, slamming the energy into the moth's back. It wasn't even reacting!!

Some sixth sense warned her minutes before it happened.

“Land on your feet this time kitty,” Kish said before knocking Ichigo into the air.

A scream tore from her throat as she sped toward the ground. All she knew was the ground far away, ready to pull her into a deadly impact...

Then suddenly she stopped her downward movement and started to move up. She opened her eyes, feeling someone's strong arms cradling her. She stared up into Blue Knight's face.

“Blue...Knight?”

Blue Knight landed gently on a ledge of the Tower and set Ichigo down.

“Thanks,” Ichigo said, feeling awkward.

Blue Knight nodded. Suddenly Kish appeared.

“You again,” he snarled. “This time I'm going to get you!”

He darted toward Blue Knight, sai outstretched. Blue Knight drew his sword instantly and parried easily. Kish let out a hiss of rage and struck again, only to be blocked again. The fight might have lasted for much longer if Kish hadn't over shot. He stumbled forward and Blue Knight hit him hard on the back, sending Kish sprawling onto the floor. Blue Knight raised his sword...

“BLUE NYMPH METAMORPHOSES!”

It was the same girl again! She knocked into the Blue Knight and knocked him off balance. The water attribute girl was at Kish's side.

“Are you all right?” she asked softly.

Kish stared at her, as though not sure what to think. Ichigo thought she saw a tear fall from the girl's eyes, but it was gone in a moment. She turned to face Blue Knight.

“I don't want to fight if we don't have to,” she said. “You have to protect someone as much as I do, and I respect you for that.”

Blue Knight stayed emotionless. The girl raised her sword.

“However, our duties have overlapped, and you continue to attack the one I must protect,” she said. “If a fight is what is necessary, then so be it.”

Had Ichigo heard that voice before? She was almost positive she had...

The two had begun to fight. This time, the girl seemed stronger. She no longer had that strange lethargy that had been present before. Ichigo would have continued to watch them, transfixed, but she was suddenly aware of Kish next to her.

“Well kitty cat, seeing as Blondie is busy, it looks like we can have some fun,” he said, grinning.

Ichigo jerked away, but it hadn't been necessary. A cry of pain drew Kish's attention away. Ichigo glanced in the direction of the fight—the girl was on her knees, clutching at her side. Blood was beginning to soak her cloak. Ichigo thought she saw a flash of fear on Kish's face—and then another slightly familiar voice drew Ichigo's attention.

“Hey Kish.”

It was that blond America transfer! She was holding a strange glowing white ball.

“Who are you?” said Kish.

Leoti grinned.

“Catch,” she said, tossing the ball into the air.

Out of instinct, Kish snatched the ball out of the air.

And the world exploded.

* * *

_ Pai _

Pai stepped from the air, seething. Kish had completely betrayed them. What on earth was he trying to achieve? Flashes of blue caught his gaze—but only for a brief second. Black fire surged from the sky, slamming him into the side of the tower. It took him only moments to recover from the attack, ready for another—but none came.

“Hey look it's Pai nanoda!”

Pai felt a twinge of anger. Those stupid mews. He'd have to take care of them. His fan appeared in his hand, and electricity began to crackle around it.

“Ribbon Mint Echo!”

The black caught him in the side. He plummeted onto the ledge, cursing himself for not noticing the blue mew sneaking up from behind.

“Ribbon Zakuro Spear!”

Pai wouldn't have time to react!! A burst of silver light blinded him for a second—then he realized that the impact of Zakuro's attack had never come. Standing before him was the same silver woman he had seen the night Kish had used the Mew Aqua to create a kirema anima. She knelt in front of him.

“Oh Pai,” she whispered. “Why do you push away those memories we shared together? Can't you remember me at all?”

Something stirred in Pai's memory. Why did he suddenly feel so...calm? The silvery being leaned in close to him.

“Remember me,” she whispered.

He could feel her breath against his face. She was drawing nearer...nearer... Her lips gently touched his—and he remembered. Everything flooded back to him at once: when he became a Kyaldian, seeing Hailie for the first time in the moonlight, the kiss they had shared beneath the willows, the day she gave birth to Orla—then the day of the fire, where Hailie had been ripped away from him. Yet here she was, solid and real and  _ alive  _ before him.

She pulled away from him, caressing his cheek softly.

“Hailie...” Pai whispered.

“Sh,” Hailie said. “I can't stay long.”

“But—you're alive,” Pai said.

“Not yet,” said Hailie. “I can't stay in this world yet.”

She pulled from his grasp.

“Wait—” 

“Find me, Pai,” she whispered. “But now, Orla needs your help.”

Then Hailie was gone. The mews were gone from the ledge as well—did they see or remember the scene that had just happened.

Orla's scream reached Pai's ears. He took off, searching for her. There she was—trapped in Ren's grip. Pai dove down.

It was time to make up for his forgetfulness.

* * *

_ Kish _

He was running through a dark maze. No matter how far he ran, nothing ever seemed to get closer. Everything stayed the same, even when he turned down a corridor. How long had he been running? It felt like forever. Was he forgetting something? Where was he supposed to be going?

White light flashed in his face and he skidded to a stop. The light burned his eyes after being in the dark for so long. He blinked a few times before the image came into focus. He was staring at the radio tower. Wait a minute, it looked different. The buildings around it were taller and sleeker, shiny with windows. He squinted, realizing that the image was drawing closer to the observatory at the top. A girl stood there, facing a giant monster moth. It flashed into a vision of the future—the girl was about to be crushed by a falling beam.

“Do you want to save her?”

The voice startled him and he whipped around. It was a face he knew.

“You're the old fortune teller from the boardwalk!”

“You might say that,” the old woman replied. “Answer my question now.”

He looked back where the girl and the beam were frozen.

“I'm a Kyaldian,” he finally said. “It's my duty to protect everyone.”

The woman let out something that might have been a cough, might have been a knowing laugh.

“Good answer,” she said finally. “And seeing as she's the ally you were sent to find, you'd better get her before she dies.”

Kish drew in a breath. This was the girl? The fortune teller was suddenly at his side.

“What are you waiting for, boy?” she said.

Then she shoved him into the image, letting him fall down, down, down back into the world.

* * *

_ Ichigo _

After the white light had nearly blinded Ichigo, Kish had vanished. All Ichigo knew now was that she had to destroy that moth before the whole city became a wasteland. Where was it?

She left the Blue Knight and the girl (who were STILL fighting!) and raced through the ruined observatory. She had just made it to the shattered window when the giant moth loomed before her, screeching.

“Strawberry Bell!” Ichigo yelled.

The moth's giant tail whipped around, smashing into the still intact walls of the observatory. Dust and debris fell around Ichigo, making her lose focus. Before she was able to take aim at the moth, she was aware of something falling towards her. As if in slow motion, she looked up and watched as a beam started to fall towards her. There would be no dodging. Ichigo braced herself...

“Watch out!”

Someone knocked into her and they rolled across the floor, out of the way of the beam. Ichigo saw it crash into the floor and shuddered. That might have been her. Someone was half on top of her after saving her from the beam. The moth screeched at them. Her rescuer—still blurred as Ichigo tried to blink the dust from her eyes—raised a hand. Wind gathered around his hand and smashed into the moth, blowing it away as easy as if it was a leaf.

Ichigo tried to push herself up.

“Oh, sorry!” said her rescuer, getting off of her.

Ichigo rubbed at her eyes, trying to clear her vision.

“You okay?”

“I think so—”

Ichigo opened her eyes to take a look at her savior.

It was Kish.


	27. The Tables Are Turned — Are You Friend Or Foe?

_ Ichigo _

Blackness. That was Ichigo's brain—completely blank. She stared at the boy in front of her—this couldn't possibly be Kish!! Sure he had the same face and hair—but his eyes seemed softer. He wasn't sneering, smirking, grinning, snickering or anything. He actually looked a bit confused, his brow furrowed as though he couldn't quite figure her out.

In a few seconds, Ichigo managed to take in the rest of Kish—which made him seem stranger than ever. A pair of white feathered wings folded neatly on his back and he wore a strange white outfit like something out of European Medieval Ages or Lord of the Rings. Not to mention the feathered lizard like tail with the long tuft that flicked back and forth behind him.

“Hey, are you okay?” Kish asked. “You look kind of dazed.”

He was talking to her as though he had never done anything perverted to her! She rose to her feet.

“Don't talk to me like that!” she said. “You think just because you saved me I'm going to forgive you for everything that just happened?”

“Huh?”

He stood up, looking at her like she was nuts.

“Don't 'huh' me!” said Ichigo. “You're a perverted idiot!”

Her face turned red, remembering how he had been on top of her after they had rolled across the floor.

“Are you sure you haven't mistaken me for somebody else?” Kish said.

“Don't play dumb Kish!” Ichigo said.

Now he looked really confused.

“Um...” he said. “Where did that name come from? My name is Kish.”

Now it was Ichigo's turn to stare at him.

“What?”

A screech cut through her.

“Get down!”

Kish knocked her to the floor. Wind flew from his hands in a whirlwind, smashing into the kirema anima again and sending it reeling back. Ichigo pushed herself up. Why was he attacking his creation?? None of this made any sense!!!

“Well, well, well, I see you've broken out already, Windy.”

This new voice made Ichigo spin around. A Cyniclon girl probably three years older than her floated above the ground, smirking at Kish. Ichigo could see him tense, looking a little more like the Kish she had known before.

“Go away Kolora. I don't want to deal with you today,” he said.

“Oh?”

She vanished, and suddenly Ichigo felt something tighten around her neck from behind. She couldn't breathe!

“Well Windy, what do you think of that?”

“Put her down Kolora!”

“Make me.”

Kish hesitated.

“Oh, that's right. You can't attack me because you'd end up hitting kitty cat instead.”

Just hearing that stupid nickname made Ichigo's blood boil. Even as spots danced in front of her eyes, she latched her hands onto the alien's arm and managed to bite her. The alien yelped and let go. Ichigo stumbled forward. Kish moved forward to help her but she pushed him away.

“Why do you keep trying to help me, freak!” she said.

“Because—”

“No! I don't want to hear it! You try to kill me hundreds of times, then you suddenly rescue me! I don't think so! I'm not forgiving you that easily!”

Kish was looking more and more confused with every word she said.

“Are you absolutely sure that you're not confusing me with someone else?”

“Stop playing dumb!”

Kish shook his head.

“How could I be the one trying to kill you? I've never seen you before today!”

Huh? What was Kish's problem? Was he going through amnesia or something? Before Ichigo could say something else, that other alien girl was back. She was laughing—in an extremely annoying way.

“Go away Kolora!” Kish yelled at her.

“But this is so entertaining,” Kolora said, still laughing. “Even though you've regained your memory, you don't remember anything that happened after I cursed you.”

“What are you talking about?” Kish said.

“Think about it, Windy,” Kolora said. “Can't remember what it was that I made you do after stealing your memories?”

Kish stared at her, looking as blank as Ichigo felt. What was this alien going on about? Something about stealing memories? Wait, if that was true...then maybe Kish had been telling her the truth this whole time... No way. Stealing memories was impossible. This had to be some scheme.

Then suddenly Kish sank to his knees, clutching at his head.

“No,” he whispered. “No, that's not right.”

“Looks like you're starting to remember now,” said Kolora, smirking. Ichigo couldn't help but notice how much that looked like the old Kish's smirk.

Kish was still on the ground, trembling.

“No, no, no, no,” he whispered over and over again.

“You'd better just accept it Windy. It will be easier that way.”

Ichigo started to take a few steps back. While Kish and this other creeper were busy, she had to take care of the kirema anima. But then, Tokyo Tower shook ominously and Ichigo fell over. Kish leapt to his feet.

“What are you doing?” he yelled.

“Me? I'm not doing a thing, Windy. But Ren and Yuuto are having some fun with the tower down below.”

She yawned.

“I'd give you about a half hour before it totally collapses. That's if Tokyo survives the poisons of the moth first.”

Kish's eyes flicked to the moth, flying around and spreading poisons through the air.

“Did I do that?” he murmured.

Ichigo didn't have time to watch this anymore. Tokyo Tower was coming down!

* * *

_ Kish _

Memories continued to flood through him even as he battered his magic against Kolora.

_ Watching Ichigo as she transformed for the first time and destroyed the kirema rat _

_ Ichigo rescued Mint from the kirema dog and Mint transformed _

_ Lettuce attacked Mint and Ichigo—Ichigo mistook Kish for a ghost before he flew away _

_ He swooped down on Ichigo and pressed his lips against hers... _

The memory was too much—it was like Mairead had been afraid of. He had broken his promise to her and fallen in love with somebody else. What did she think of him? Would she ever trust him again? And Ichigo—the ally they had been sent to find. She probably still hated him and would hate him until the end.

“Ribbon Windstorm!” he shouted.

Even the emotionally charged attack didn't seem to faze Kolora.

“You'll have to do better than that, Windy!” she said, swiping her fiery sword at him.

He dodged the attack and pushed off into the air, soaring out the shattered window.

“You running away, Windy?”

“I don't have time for you anymore!”

Kish zoomed towards the moth. If he could just blow all the toxins into one spot, he might be able to keep them from spreading across the city! The wind flew obediently to his hands and he directed around and around the radio tower, scooping about all the poisoned air. He caught all in one ball of wind and compressed the ball as hard as he could. Most of the toxins vanished, but the moth was still airborne.

What could he do now?

“Kish!!”

Tanya smacked into him, nearly making them both plummet to the ground.

“Tanya! That's dangerous!”

“You're back! You're back you're back you're back you're back you're back—”

“Give him some air Tanya!” said Taruto, zooming up to them.

“Taruto! You have your memory back too?”

“Yeah, I got it first,” he said dismissively. “You and Pai sure took your time though.”

“Nice to see you too.”

“I hate to be a stick in the mud,” said Orla.

“But we do have a serious problem on our hands,” Kendra finished.

“Right,” said Kish. “Anybody got a plan?”

“Well, that's why you're our leader,” said Orla.

Kish sighed and then tried to think. He had made the moth, so he had to know its weakness! It was created to fly so it could spread the toxins around, but it had trouble in enclosed spaces and when it was on the ground.

That was it!

“We've got to get it on the ground!” he said. “It won't be able to function as well!”

“And how do we do that?” said Orla. “That thing is huge!”

“I'll blow it as close the ground as possible—Taruto once it gets close enough use your vines to secure it!”

“Got it,” said Taruto.

“Kendra, use your shadow control to create a box around it in case it breaks free from the vines.”

Kendra nodded.

“Orla, I need you to give the hardest strike you have to disable its wings.”

Orla nodded.

“Tanya, you help her out.”

“Yay!” said Tanya.

“All right, let's do this!”

They separated. Kish took a breath.

“This better work,” he muttered.

* * *

_ Ichigo _

“Ichigo-san!” Lettuce said. “You're okay!”

“Much better now that Kish is off my tail,” Ichigo said. “Listen, they're trying to knock down the tower!”

“Don't they ever give up?” Mint said.

“Guess not nanoda!” said Pudding.

“We've got to work faster then,” said Zakuro. “The moth is still airborne—” 

She stopped, staring at a point in the sky. Ichigo followed Zakuro's gaze—and her mouth fell open. Kish was still in that weird outfit with the big wings. Wind flew from his hands, pushing the moth downwards.

“What are they doing?” said Mint.

“It might crush people below!” said Lettuce.

It was twenty feet above the ground—and vines shot from the ground and grabbed the moth, securing it tightly. It screeched in anger. Then shadows flooded around it, sealing it inside a semi-see-through box. Inside there was a flash of silver and pale blue—then an explosion as the moth broke free, taking off awkwardly into the sky. Its wings looked hurt.

“It's injured!” said Zakuro, a touch of surprise in her voice. “Why did they do it?”

“This is our chance girls!” said Ichigo. “Strawberry Bell!”

* * *

_ Kish _

“Dang!”

The moth had broken free! Not to mention he could hear the ominous shudder of the Tower behind them.

“What do we do now?” said Kendra.

_ Think, Kish! Think! _

Suddenly Orla flew upwards.

“I have an idea,” she said slowly. “I'm going to do what Tanya did on the beach.”

“What?” said Kish. (Kish wasn't there so he wouldn't know. ^-^)

“You sure Orla?” said Tanya. “I could only do it when I knew I had to.”

“I think I have to,” said Orla.

She cupped her Kyalda Key in her hands. (Remember, the Kyalda Key replaced the Eversphere after they used the Kyalda.)

“Kyalda Light,” she whispered. “Release.”

The little silver light flew from the top of the key, hovering in front of her for a second. Then it zoomed off towards the tower—away from the moth.

“It didn't work!” said Taruto.

Kendra raised a hand for silence, staring at the tower.

“I think it did!” she said.

* * *

_ Ichigo _

Ichigo reached the top of the tower long before the others.

“Ichigo, wait up!” Mint yelled.

A strange feeling flooded through Ichigo. It was warm and calm, making her feel safe. Where was it coming from? She searched the tower with her eyes. There it was!

A small silvery light hovered inside.

“Mew Aqua!” she said.

“What?”

The others had reached the top of the stairs.

“No way nanoda!” said Pudding.

“Was it here the whole time?” Mint said softly.

Ichigo stepped forward towards the light, reaching out until her hand was right in its center. Words flooded through her head.

“Mew Aqua Rod!” she shouted.

A long pink staff appeared in her hands, topped with a jeweled heart. The silver light attached itself to the top, flashing.

“Ribbon...” Ichigo said. “Aqua Drops!”

Bubbles flew from the top. The staff's power drew Ichigo up into the air, twirling higher and higher. Bubbles flew through the air, instantly dissolving the kirema moth into nothingness. Poison vanished from the air. From a distance, Ichigo thought she could see Kish, Pai and Taruto—with four other Cyniclon girls. What had happened before? Had Kish actually changed so suddenly? Or was there more to what had happened?

Ichigo landed back on the Tower ledge and the staff vanished. The tiny silver light of the Mew Aqua zoom away into the distance.

“Ichigo, you did it!”

Lettuce hugged Ichigo tightly.

“Yay oneechan!!! We did it nanoda!” said Pudding punching her fist in the air.

“Not bad, Ichigo,” said Mint. “You really know how to pull it off don't you?”

The tower creaked ominously.

“The Tower is still coming down!” Ichigo said, remembering what she had forgotten.

* * *

_ Kish _

The silver light returned to the top of Orla's Kyalda Key.

“Well, we got rid of the moth,” said Orla.

“But the Tower's still going to come down!” said Tanya.

“What's our next plan?” asked Kendra.

“The best I can come up with,” said Kish. “Is that we attack Ren and Yuuto and then try to stabilize the bottom.”

“Too late for that, Kyaldians.”

Kish just barely dodged the knife that flashed past him. Dang!

Ren and Yuuto hovered above them—Ren was smirking, as usual.

“You've got about five minutes before the Tower comes down with Tokyo Mew Mew inside,” he said. “Not much time to stabilize the bottom, huh?”

“Shut. Up!” Kish snarled.

He called up his sais and zoomed at Ren. Ren pulled out one of his swords to block the move, then pulled out his other sword to take a swipe at Kish's stomach. Kish fell back to avoid the blow, then darted in again. He might have hit Ren this time if Yuuto hadn't hit him hard on the back of the head.

Spots danced across Kish's eyes and he dropped a few feet before regaining his balance again. Ren was in the process of a downward slice that Kish would have no time to block.

“I don't think so, freak! Moon Sabers!”

Silver light flashed across Kish's eyes and he squeezed his eyes shut. Ren must have fallen back from the light because no strike came.

“Whoa,” said Orla's voice.

Kish opened his eyes. Orla was not holding the Moon Sabers she had had before. These twin swords were longer and thinner; two deadly katanas with intricate silver hilts.

“This is new,” said Orla.

“Well, how 'bout you try them out, Moon-chan?” Ren said.

He shot towards her. Almost automatically, the swords came up to block Orla’s neck. There was a deadly grace in the twin curved blades, flashing as Orla easily deflected each of Ren’s attacks. Orla shot out with both blades at once, slicing the back of Ren’s hand. He winced and pulled back.

“Ribbon…” Orla said. “Moon Dance!”

_ That’s new,  _ thought Kish.

The bright silvery moonlight flashing from Orla’s blades was new as well, slicing towards Ren. He dodged—but just barely. The lights flashed past him, stopped, then turned around and went after him again. Kish caught the surprise on Ren’s face before the yokai had to dodge again. They might have caught him in the end if it wasn’t for Yuuto, throwing some strange sort of dust at the light and dissolving the energy.

“You have no idea how much I hate these guys,” Kendra grumbled. “All right, time to kick some butt.”

There was a flash of light at her Kyalda Key and the light flew to her hands. Kish caught her surprised look and then a purple flash of light nearly blinded him. When his vision cleared, Kendra was holding a long purple lance—definitely not the staff she had had before.

“Awesome, I’ve got a new weapon too!” she said.

“Maybe it’s cause we all used Kyalda and got a Kyalda Key!” said Tanya. “I’m gonna try!”

The pale blue light flew easily to her hands and flashed, transforming into a thin pale baton with crystals on both ends. She twirled it experimentally.

“Ribbon…” she said. “Crystal Mimic!”

Pale blue light flashed from both crystals and formed into the strange dust that Yuuto had used. Yuuto ducked away as the dust fell around the two demons.

“Idiot!” he said. “That stuff is dangerous!!”

“Well how about this?” said Kendra. “Ribbon Shadow Javelin!”

Purple fire lanced from Kendra’s weapon and smacked Yuuto in the stomach.

“Kish, Taruto, try to stop the tower from falling!” said Kendra.

“Yeah, we’ll clean up here,” said Orla.

“Right,” said Kish.

Taruto was staring towards the bottom of the tower.

“I feel it,” he said slowly.

“Huh?” said Kish.

“Kyalda,” said Taruto.

He dived down towards the tower.

“Wait, Taruto!”

* * *

_ Ichigo _

Ichigo was startled by the sudden descent of Taruto towards the bottom of the tower.

“Where is he going?” she said.

The tower rocked again, nearly sending Ichigo to the floor.

“What are they doing?” said Lettuce.

“I bet Taruto has something to do with it,” said Mint.

“We’ve got to get down there,” said Zakuro.

Ichigo didn’t waste any time. She darted down the stairs. Taruto stopped on a landing farther down, staring at the ground with a funny look on his face. Ichigo was almost there—

The tower lurched again as the ground cracked open, green light spilling out.

“It’s Mew Aqua!” said Mint from behind Ichigo.

“But why is it green nanoda?” said Pudding.

“It doesn’t matter, we just can’t let Taruto get it!” Ichigo said. She charged toward Taruto.

“Ichigo-oneechan, wait nanoda!!”

Ichigo slammed into Taruto, knocking him to the ground.

“Hey!” he said.

“I won’t let you get the Mew Aqua!” said Ichigo.

“Stop it!” said Taruto, trying to get up. “The whole tower is going to come down!”

“I figured that out pipsqueak!” said Ichigo.

“Don’t call me that!”

The green glowing Mew Aqua was floating slowly from the hole. Taruto darted down toward it.

“No!!” Ichigo said, going after him.

“Ichigo-oneechan, please wait!” Pudding shouted.

Taruto reached the Mew Aqua first, thrusting his hand inside the glowing sphere.

“KYALDA ROD!”

Green light flashed in Ichigo’s eyes. She yelped as the light seared her eyes. She didn’t know where the ground was—how would she be able to land on her feet?!

“Ribbon Kyalda Drops!”

Ichigo landed on top of something bouncy. She opened her eyes. Green bubbles a lot like the bubbles she had used before were swirling around her. She looked down at the thing that had caught her—and her mouth dropped open. A giant flower?

She slid down from the flower and looked up at the tower. (Starfire: I MADE A RHYME!!!) Vines were glowing up the beams, securing it and holding it up.

“No way,” Ichigo breathed.

Flowers burst into bloom from the vines: beautiful silver and gold blooms bobbing in the breeze, glowing like stars. They shone against the dark night sky as rain began to fall. The tower stopped lurching and stayed still. The other mews ran over to Ichigo.

“Ichigo, are you okay?” said Lettuce.

“Yeah, I landed on the flower,” said Ichigo. “What is going on?”

“The vines are holding the tower up,” said Zakuro.

“But who did it?” said Mint.

“Ototo-san, you did it!!!”

Ichigo turned to the voice. A girl that looked a lot like Taruto jumped on him and knocked him over.

“Tanya!!! Not breathing!!”

“That was almost as cool as the time I used that move!” said Tanya. “And it means you’ve got a Kyalda Key now!!”

“Tanya, GET OFF!”

“Isn’t that the American girl from your school, Ichigo?” said Mint. “One of them, at least?”

“I think so,” said Ichigo. “But why is she with the aliens—wait, she’s got the same ears!” 

Zakuro tensed visibly.

“More enemies?” she murmured.

Three other girls ran over to where Taruto was pushing Tanya off of him. They had also been at Ichigo’s school—one with black hair, one with red and the other with purple.

“Where’s Kish?” said the red head.

“He’s—” Tanya started.

Suddenly Ichigo noticed Kish running towards them. She stiffened, but he didn’t come towards her.

“Mairead!” he shouted.

“Kish!” the red head said.

Kish ran to the red head and pulled her into a kiss.

“Huh?” said Ichigo, feeling her cheeks going red. “What just happened?”

“I’m kind of wondering the same thing,” said Mint.

Kish and Mairead stopped kissing and he pulled her into a tight hug, murmuring something to her. Mairead kept whispering, “Its okay, its okay. I forgive you.”

Farther back, Ichigo could see Pai hugging the black haired girl.

“I feel like I’m missing something,” said Lettuce.

The purple haired girl marched over to where Kish was hugging Mairead.

“Kish, you are SO lucky Mairead got to you first!” she said. “I was going to punch you for being so stupid!”

“Uh, Kendra?” said Kish.

“How could you let your memories get wiped so easily??? Then why didn’t you fight it??? You IDIOT!!”

The purple haired girl started hitting Kish on the head repeatedly.

“Ow—Kendra!—ow—stop—ow—Kendra!!!”

“Kendra!” said Mairead. “Please stop!!”

She finally did, still looking like she was fuming. Suddenly, Kish looked over towards Ichigo. Ichigo tensed. He was walking towards her… Zakuro had taken a step towards Ichigo, as though in warning to Kish… He was still coming…

He stopped in front of her, and Ichigo suddenly realized that he was wearing a school uniform.

“Ichigo,” he said.

To her surprise, he bowed (In Japan they bow!! Remember that!)

“I want to say I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to cause you all of that stress.”

Ichigo stepped away.

“Um, I don’t know what’s going on,” Ichigo said, taking another step back.

“Wait—”

Ichigo turned and ran. Masaya was still waiting for her—and she didn’t want to face this. She didn’t know what was going on! What kind of a dream was she in?


	28. The Tables Are Turned — Are You Friend Or Foe?

_ Ichigo _

Blackness. That was Ichigo's brain—completely blank. She stared at the boy in front of her—this couldn't possibly be Kish!! Sure he had the same face and hair—but his eyes seemed softer. He wasn't sneering, smirking, grinning, snickering or anything. He actually looked a bit confused, his brow furrowed as though he couldn't quite figure her out.

In a few seconds, Ichigo managed to take in the rest of Kish—which made him seem stranger than ever. A pair of white feathered wings folded neatly on his back and he wore a strange white outfit like something out of European Medieval Ages or Lord of the Rings. Not to mention the feathered lizard like tail with the long tuft that flicked back and forth behind him.

“Hey, are you okay?” Kish asked. “You look kind of dazed.”

He was talking to her as though he had never done anything perverted to her! She rose to her feet.

“Don't talk to me like that!” she said. “You think just because you saved me I'm going to forgive you for everything that just happened?”

“Huh?”

He stood up, looking at her like she was nuts.

“Don't 'huh' me!” said Ichigo. “You're a perverted idiot!”

Her face turned red, remembering how he had been on top of her after they had rolled across the floor.

“Are you sure you haven't mistaken me for somebody else?” Kish said.

“Don't play dumb Kish!” Ichigo said.

Now he looked really confused.

“Um...” he said. “Where did that name come from? My name is Kish.”

Now it was Ichigo's turn to stare at him.

“What?”

A screech cut through her.

“Get down!”

Kish knocked her to the floor. Wind flew from his hands in a whirlwind, smashing into the kirema anima again and sending it reeling back. Ichigo pushed herself up. Why was he attacking his creation?? None of this made any sense!!!

“Well, well, well, I see you've broken out already, Windy.”

This new voice made Ichigo spin around. A Cyniclon girl probably three years older than her floated above the ground, smirking at Kish. Ichigo could see him tense, looking a little more like the Kish she had known before.

“Go away Kolora. I don't want to deal with you today,” he said.

“Oh?”

She vanished, and suddenly Ichigo felt something tighten around her neck from behind. She couldn't breathe!

“Well Windy, what do you think of that?”

“Put her down Kolora!”

“Make me.”

Kish hesitated.

“Oh, that's right. You can't attack me because you'd end up hitting kitty cat instead.”

Just hearing that stupid nickname made Ichigo's blood boil. Even as spots danced in front of her eyes, she latched her hands onto the alien's arm and managed to bite her. The alien yelped and let go. Ichigo stumbled forward. Kish moved forward to help her but she pushed him away.

“Why do you keep trying to help me, freak!” she said.

“Because—”

“No! I don't want to hear it! You try to kill me hundreds of times, then you suddenly rescue me! I don't think so! I'm not forgiving you that easily!”

Kish was looking more and more confused with every word she said.

“Are you absolutely sure that you're not confusing me with someone else?”

“Stop playing dumb!”

Kish shook his head.

“How could I be the one trying to kill you? I've never seen you before today!”

Huh? What was Kish's problem? Was he going through amnesia or something? Before Ichigo could say something else, that other alien girl was back. She was laughing—in an extremely annoying way.

“Go away Kolora!” Kish yelled at her.

“But this is so entertaining,” Kolora said, still laughing. “Even though you've regained your memory, you don't remember anything that happened after I cursed you.”

“What are you talking about?” Kish said.

“Think about it, Windy,” Kolora said. “Can't remember what it was that I made you do after stealing your memories?”

Kish stared at her, looking as blank as Ichigo felt. What was this alien going on about? Something about stealing memories? Wait, if that was true...then maybe Kish had been telling her the truth this whole time... No way. Stealing memories was impossible. This had to be some scheme.

Then suddenly Kish sank to his knees, clutching at his head.

“No,” he whispered. “No, that's not right.”

“Looks like you're starting to remember now,” said Kolora, smirking. Ichigo couldn't help but notice how much that looked like the old Kish's smirk.

Kish was still on the ground, trembling.

“No, no, no, no,” he whispered over and over again.

“You'd better just accept it Windy. It will be easier that way.”

Ichigo started to take a few steps back. While Kish and this other creeper were busy, she had to take care of the kirema anima. But then, Tokyo Tower shook ominously and Ichigo fell over. Kish leapt to his feet.

“What are you doing?” he yelled.

“Me? I'm not doing a thing, Windy. But Ren and Yuuto are having some fun with the tower down below.”

She yawned.

“I'd give you about a half hour before it totally collapses. That's if Tokyo survives the poisons of the moth first.”

Kish's eyes flicked to the moth, flying around and spreading poisons through the air.

“Did I do that?” he murmured.

Ichigo didn't have time to watch this anymore. Tokyo Tower was coming down!

* * *

_ Kish _

Memories continued to flood through him even as he battered his magic against Kolora.

_ Watching Ichigo as she transformed for the first time and destroyed the kirema rat _

_ Ichigo rescued Mint from the kirema dog and Mint transformed _

_ Lettuce attacked Mint and Ichigo—Ichigo mistook Kish for a ghost before he flew away _

_ He swooped down on Ichigo and pressed his lips against hers... _

The memory was too much—it was like Mairead had been afraid of. He had broken his promise to her and fallen in love with somebody else. What did she think of him? Would she ever trust him again? And Ichigo—the ally they had been sent to find. She probably still hated him and would hate him until the end.

“Ribbon Windstorm!” he shouted.

Even the emotionally charged attack didn't seem to faze Kolora.

“You'll have to do better than that, Windy!” she said, swiping her fiery sword at him.

He dodged the attack and pushed off into the air, soaring out the shattered window.

“You running away, Windy?”

“I don't have time for you anymore!”

Kish zoomed towards the moth. If he could just blow all the toxins into one spot, he might be able to keep them from spreading across the city! The wind flew obediently to his hands and he directed around and around the radio tower, scooping about all the poisoned air. He caught all in one ball of wind and compressed the ball as hard as he could. Most of the toxins vanished, but the moth was still airborne.

What could he do now?

“Kish!!”

Tanya smacked into him, nearly making them both plummet to the ground.

“Tanya! That's dangerous!”

“You're back! You're back you're back you're back you're back you're back—”

“Give him some air Tanya!” said Taruto, zooming up to them.

“Taruto! You have your memory back too?”

“Yeah, I got it first,” he said dismissively. “You and Pai sure took your time though.”

“Nice to see you too.”

“I hate to be a stick in the mud,” said Orla.

“But we do have a serious problem on our hands,” Kendra finished.

“Right,” said Kish. “Anybody got a plan?”

“Well, that's why you're our leader,” said Orla.

Kish sighed and then tried to think. He had made the moth, so he had to know its weakness! It was created to fly so it could spread the toxins around, but it had trouble in enclosed spaces and when it was on the ground.

That was it!

“We've got to get it on the ground!” he said. “It won't be able to function as well!”

“And how do we do that?” said Orla. “That thing is huge!”

“I'll blow it as close the ground as possible—Taruto once it gets close enough use your vines to secure it!”

“Got it,” said Taruto.

“Kendra, use your shadow control to create a box around it in case it breaks free from the vines.”

Kendra nodded.

“Orla, I need you to give the hardest strike you have to disable its wings.”

Orla nodded.

“Tanya, you help her out.”

“Yay!” said Tanya.

“All right, let's do this!”

They separated. Kish took a breath.

“This better work,” he muttered.

* * *

_ Ichigo _

“Ichigo-san!” Lettuce said. “You're okay!”

“Much better now that Kish is off my tail,” Ichigo said. “Listen, they're trying to knock down the tower!”

“Don't they ever give up?” Mint said.

“Guess not nanoda!” said Pudding.

“We've got to work faster then,” said Zakuro. “The moth is still airborne—” 

She stopped, staring at a point in the sky. Ichigo followed Zakuro's gaze—and her mouth fell open. Kish was still in that weird outfit with the big wings. Wind flew from his hands, pushing the moth downwards.

“What are they doing?” said Mint.

“It might crush people below!” said Lettuce.

It was twenty feet above the ground—and vines shot from the ground and grabbed the moth, securing it tightly. It screeched in anger. Then shadows flooded around it, sealing it inside a semi-see-through box. Inside there was a flash of silver and pale blue—then an explosion as the moth broke free, taking off awkwardly into the sky. Its wings looked hurt.

“It's injured!” said Zakuro, a touch of surprise in her voice. “Why did they do it?”

“This is our chance girls!” said Ichigo. “Strawberry Bell!”

* * *

_ Kish _

“Dang!”

The moth had broken free! Not to mention he could hear the ominous shudder of the Tower behind them.

“What do we do now?” said Kendra.

_ Think, Kish! Think! _

Suddenly Orla flew upwards.

“I have an idea,” she said slowly. “I'm going to do what Tanya did on the beach.”

“What?” said Kish. (Kish wasn't there so he wouldn't know. ^-^)

“You sure Orla?” said Tanya. “I could only do it when I knew I had to.”

“I think I have to,” said Orla.

She cupped her Kyalda Key in her hands. (Remember, the Kyalda Key replaced the Eversphere after they used the Kyalda.)

“Kyalda Light,” she whispered. “Release.”

The little silver light flew from the top of the key, hovering in front of her for a second. Then it zoomed off towards the tower—away from the moth.

“It didn't work!” said Taruto.

Kendra raised a hand for silence, staring at the tower.

“I think it did!” she said.

* * *

_ Ichigo _

Ichigo reached the top of the tower long before the others.

“Ichigo, wait up!” Mint yelled.

A strange feeling flooded through Ichigo. It was warm and calm, making her feel safe. Where was it coming from? She searched the tower with her eyes. There it was!

A small silvery light hovered inside.

“Mew Aqua!” she said.

“What?”

The others had reached the top of the stairs.

“No way nanoda!” said Pudding.

“Was it here the whole time?” Mint said softly.

Ichigo stepped forward towards the light, reaching out until her hand was right in its center. Words flooded through her head.

“Mew Aqua Rod!” she shouted.

A long pink staff appeared in her hands, topped with a jeweled heart. The silver light attached itself to the top, flashing.

“Ribbon...” Ichigo said. “Aqua Drops!”

Bubbles flew from the top. The staff's power drew Ichigo up into the air, twirling higher and higher. Bubbles flew through the air, instantly dissolving the kirema moth into nothingness. Poison vanished from the air. From a distance, Ichigo thought she could see Kish, Pai and Taruto—with four other Cyniclon girls. What had happened before? Had Kish actually changed so suddenly? Or was there more to what had happened?

Ichigo landed back on the Tower ledge and the staff vanished. The tiny silver light of the Mew Aqua zoom away into the distance.

“Ichigo, you did it!”

Lettuce hugged Ichigo tightly.

“Yay oneechan!!! We did it nanoda!” said Pudding punching her fist in the air.

“Not bad, Ichigo,” said Mint. “You really know how to pull it off don't you?”

The tower creaked ominously.

“The Tower is still coming down!” Ichigo said, remembering what she had forgotten.

* * *

_ Kish _

The silver light returned to the top of Orla's Kyalda Key.

“Well, we got rid of the moth,” said Orla.

“But the Tower's still going to come down!” said Tanya.

“What's our next plan?” asked Kendra.

“The best I can come up with,” said Kish. “Is that we attack Ren and Yuuto and then try to stabilize the bottom.”

“Too late for that, Kyaldians.”

Kish just barely dodged the knife that flashed past him. Dang!

Ren and Yuuto hovered above them—Ren was smirking, as usual.

“You've got about five minutes before the Tower comes down with Tokyo Mew Mew inside,” he said. “Not much time to stabilize the bottom, huh?”

“Shut. Up!” Kish snarled.

He called up his sais and zoomed at Ren. Ren pulled out one of his swords to block the move, then pulled out his other sword to take a swipe at Kish's stomach. Kish fell back to avoid the blow, then darted in again. He might have hit Ren this time if Yuuto hadn't hit him hard on the back of the head.

Spots danced across Kish's eyes and he dropped a few feet before regaining his balance again. Ren was in the process of a downward slice that Kish would have no time to block.

“I don't think so, freak! Moon Sabers!”

Silver light flashed across Kish's eyes and he squeezed his eyes shut. Ren must have fallen back from the light because no strike came.

“Whoa,” said Orla's voice.

Kish opened his eyes. Orla was not holding the Moon Sabers she had had before. These twin swords were longer and thinner; two deadly katanas with intricate silver hilts.

“This is new,” said Orla.

“Well, how 'bout you try them out, Moon-chan?” Ren said.

He shot towards her. Almost automatically, the swords came up to block Orla’s neck. There was a deadly grace in the twin curved blades, flashing as Orla easily deflected each of Ren’s attacks. Orla shot out with both blades at once, slicing the back of Ren’s hand. He winced and pulled back.

“Ribbon…” Orla said. “Moon Dance!”

_ That’s new,  _ thought Kish.

The bright silvery moonlight flashing from Orla’s blades was new as well, slicing towards Ren. He dodged—but just barely. The lights flashed past him, stopped, then turned around and went after him again. Kish caught the surprise on Ren’s face before the yokai had to dodge again. They might have caught him in the end if it wasn’t for Yuuto, throwing some strange sort of dust at the light and dissolving the energy.

“You have no idea how much I hate these guys,” Kendra grumbled. “All right, time to kick some butt.”

There was a flash of light at her Kyalda Key and the light flew to her hands. Kish caught her surprised look and then a purple flash of light nearly blinded him. When his vision cleared, Kendra was holding a long purple lance—definitely not the staff she had had before.

“Awesome, I’ve got a new weapon too!” she said.

“Maybe it’s cause we all used Kyalda and got a Kyalda Key!” said Tanya. “I’m gonna try!”

The pale blue light flew easily to her hands and flashed, transforming into a thin pale baton with crystals on both ends. She twirled it experimentally.

“Ribbon…” she said. “Crystal Mimic!”

Pale blue light flashed from both crystals and formed into the strange dust that Yuuto had used. Yuuto ducked away as the dust fell around the two demons.

“Idiot!” he said. “That stuff is dangerous!!”

“Well how about this?” said Kendra. “Ribbon Shadow Javelin!”

Purple fire lanced from Kendra’s weapon and smacked Yuuto in the stomach.

“Kish, Taruto, try to stop the tower from falling!” said Kendra.

“Yeah, we’ll clean up here,” said Orla.

“Right,” said Kish.

Taruto was staring towards the bottom of the tower.

“I feel it,” he said slowly.

“Huh?” said Kish.

“Kyalda,” said Taruto.

He dived down towards the tower.

“Wait, Taruto!”

* * *

_ Ichigo _

Ichigo was startled by the sudden descent of Taruto towards the bottom of the tower.

“Where is he going?” she said.

The tower rocked again, nearly sending Ichigo to the floor.

“What are they doing?” said Lettuce.

“I bet Taruto has something to do with it,” said Mint.

“We’ve got to get down there,” said Zakuro.

Ichigo didn’t waste any time. She darted down the stairs. Taruto stopped on a landing farther down, staring at the ground with a funny look on his face. Ichigo was almost there—

The tower lurched again as the ground cracked open, green light spilling out.

“It’s Mew Aqua!” said Mint from behind Ichigo.

“But why is it green nanoda?” said Pudding.

“It doesn’t matter, we just can’t let Taruto get it!” Ichigo said. She charged toward Taruto.

“Ichigo-oneechan, wait nanoda!!”

Ichigo slammed into Taruto, knocking him to the ground.

“Hey!” he said.

“I won’t let you get the Mew Aqua!” said Ichigo.

“Stop it!” said Taruto, trying to get up. “The whole tower is going to come down!”

“I figured that out pipsqueak!” said Ichigo.

“Don’t call me that!”

The green glowing Mew Aqua was floating slowly from the hole. Taruto darted down toward it.

“No!!” Ichigo said, going after him.

“Ichigo-oneechan, please wait!” Pudding shouted.

Taruto reached the Mew Aqua first, thrusting his hand inside the glowing sphere.

“KYALDA ROD!”

Green light flashed in Ichigo’s eyes. She yelped as the light seared her eyes. She didn’t know where the ground was—how would she be able to land on her feet?!

“Ribbon Kyalda Drops!”

Ichigo landed on top of something bouncy. She opened her eyes. Green bubbles a lot like the bubbles she had used before were swirling around her. She looked down at the thing that had caught her—and her mouth dropped open. A giant flower?

She slid down from the flower and looked up at the tower. (Starfire: I MADE A RHYME!!!) Vines were glowing up the beams, securing it and holding it up.

“No way,” Ichigo breathed.

Flowers burst into bloom from the vines: beautiful silver and gold blooms bobbing in the breeze, glowing like stars. They shone against the dark night sky as rain began to fall. The tower stopped lurching and stayed still. The other mews ran over to Ichigo.

“Ichigo, are you okay?” said Lettuce.

“Yeah, I landed on the flower,” said Ichigo. “What is going on?”

“The vines are holding the tower up,” said Zakuro.

“But who did it?” said Mint.

“Ototo-san, you did it!!!”

Ichigo turned to the voice. A girl that looked a lot like Taruto jumped on him and knocked him over.

“Tanya!!! Not breathing!!”

“That was almost as cool as the time I used that move!” said Tanya. “And it means you’ve got a Kyalda Key now!!”

“Tanya, GET OFF!”

“Isn’t that the American girl from your school, Ichigo?” said Mint. “One of them, at least?”

“I think so,” said Ichigo. “But why is she with the aliens—wait, she’s got the same ears!” 

Zakuro tensed visibly.

“More enemies?” she murmured.

Three other girls ran over to where Taruto was pushing Tanya off of him. They had also been at Ichigo’s school—one with black hair, one with red and the other with purple.

“Where’s Kish?” said the red head.

“He’s—” Tanya started.

Suddenly Ichigo noticed Kish running towards them. She stiffened, but he didn’t come towards her.

“Mairead!” he shouted.

“Kish!” the red head said.

Kish ran to the red head and pulled her into a kiss.

“Huh?” said Ichigo, feeling her cheeks going red. “What just happened?”

“I’m kind of wondering the same thing,” said Mint.

Kish and Mairead stopped kissing and he pulled her into a tight hug, murmuring something to her. Mairead kept whispering, “Its okay, its okay. I forgive you.”

Farther back, Ichigo could see Pai hugging the black haired girl.

“I feel like I’m missing something,” said Lettuce.

The purple haired girl marched over to where Kish was hugging Mairead.

“Kish, you are SO lucky Mairead got to you first!” she said. “I was going to punch you for being so stupid!”

“Uh, Kendra?” said Kish.

“How could you let your memories get wiped so easily??? Then why didn’t you fight it??? You IDIOT!!”

The purple haired girl started hitting Kish on the head repeatedly.

“Ow—Kendra!—ow—stop—ow—Kendra!!!”

“Kendra!” said Mairead. “Please stop!!”

She finally did, still looking like she was fuming. Suddenly, Kish looked over towards Ichigo. Ichigo tensed. He was walking towards her… Zakuro had taken a step towards Ichigo, as though in warning to Kish… He was still coming…

He stopped in front of her, and Ichigo suddenly realized that he was wearing a school uniform.

“Ichigo,” he said.

To her surprise, he bowed (In Japan they bow!! Remember that!)

“I want to say I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to cause you all of that stress.”

Ichigo stepped away.

“Um, I don’t know what’s going on,” Ichigo said, taking another step back.

“Wait—”

Ichigo turned and ran. Masaya was still waiting for her—and she didn’t want to face this. She didn’t know what was going on! What kind of a dream was she in?


	29. Amber Flames - Leoti's Past Revealed

_ Ichigo _

Ichigo gnawed on the end of her chopstick, replaying last night in her mind. First Kish's strange personality change—then Masaya's confession of love for her. Ichigo felt in a daze. She decided not to think about Kish, and instead thought about Masaya. She lingered on the memory of Masaya holding her close to him...

_ I tied a ribbon in my hair, and then I tried to smile... _

Ichigo glanced down to where her cell phone sat on the table and picked it up. She gulped when she saw the name across the screen: Masaya.

She flipped open her cell phone.

“Hello?” she said tentatively.

* * *

_ Leoti _

Leoti walked purposefully toward Cafe Mew Mew. Last night had not gone well where the mews were concerned. Kish and Pai had returned to normal, but the mews didn't seem to want to believe it. Perhaps they would believe Leoti, if anyone.

She moved through the double doors.

“Good morning!”

Ichigo seemed super cheerful.

_ She's so easy to read,  _ Leoti thought.  _ I can instantly tell that Masaya must have confessed his love to her last night. _

(Starfire's note: DON'T ASK ME HOW SHE KNOWS ABOUT THIS CAUSE I WON'T TELL YOU!)

“How many will it be then?” said Ichigo with the biggest smile that Leoti had ever seen.

“Just me,” said Leoti.

“Right! Follow me!”

Leoti followed Ichigo through the cafe and glanced around.

_ Just how it's supposed to be. _

She found two doors in the back with her eyes—the left one appeared to be the kitchen, meaning the other one had to be to the back rooms and the basement. Just the place Ryou would choose to plan the Mew Project.

Leoti breathed in and sat down at the table Ichigo pointed to.

“Someone will be with you in a minute,” Ichigo said, skipping off to help the next group.

Leoti watched her go, then she pulled the photograph from her pocket.

“If nothing else,” she murmured to herself. “This will convince Ryou.”

She stuck it back into her pocket as Mint wandered over and halfheartedly took her order. A while later, after Leoti had stalled for as long as she could, the cafe started to close.

Leoti started to the door.

“Have a nice day!” said Ichigo.

Leoti took her chance. She slipped the photo into Ichigo's hand.

“Tell Ryou that we need to talk,” Leoti murmured without meeting Ichigo's eyes.

Ichigo blinked, confused, but she took the photo. Leoti walked out of the cafe.

_ I'll give it about an hour before I come back,  _ Leoti thought.

She passed by a tall tree—something shot out from the top and pierced her arm. Despite herself she let out a yelp of pain and stumbled to the ground. Carefully, she extracted a small dart from her arm. She sniffed the top.

“Sleeping...poison...” she mumbled, struggling to stay awake.

Dang! How had she not noticed anything?

“That was easier than I thought it would be.”

Ren dropped from the tree.

“I thought she'd notice us for sure,” he said. “Nice shot Yuuto.”

Yuuto grunted noncommittally. Kolora dropped from the tree.

“You underestimated my banshee magic, Ren,” she said. “I can hide anything from an elf's senses whenever I want to.”

Leoti shoved a hand in her pocket, the transition words already on her lips. Ren was too fast for her. He darted behind her, yanking her arm away from the necklace in her pocket and clamping a hand over her mouth.

“I don't think so, smarty-pants,” he hissed in her ear. “We can't have you messing up our plans.”

“Yuuto, how long does that stuff take to work?” Kolora said irritably. “I want her out like a light.”

“It should take effect right about...” Yuuto started. “Now.”

Leoti fell deep under oceans of sleep.

* * *

_ Ichigo _

Ichigo looked over the photograph again. It appeared to show Ryou as a kid with what had to be his parents. Next to them was a Hispanic woman and a Japanese man with two younger kids—one looked like a younger version of the blond haired girl that had given Ichigo the picture. In the back was a round faced woman with short black hair and green eyes.

Ichigo turned over the photo and re-read the address.

“Heart Fire Floral and Gift Shop, 1313 Ryoko Lane, Memory Edge, Tokyo.”

She looked up at the girls.

“Anyone know that address?” she asked.

“I know Ryoko Lane,” said Lettuce. “But I don't know what Memory Edge is.”

“I've never seen that shop before,” said Mint. “I've never even heard of it.”

Ichigo looked up at Zakuro. Zakuro shrugged, indicating that she didn't know.

“Great,” said Ichigo. “Okay, where the heck is Ryou? Maybe he can clear this up.”

“On that note, where's Pudding?” asked Mint. “Did she leave right after we closed?”

“That's not like her at all,” said Ichigo.

The back door opened and Ryou walked out.

“Are you girls still hanging around?” he said. “There's nothing going on today, I figured you'd want to go home.”

“It looks like there is something going on today,” said Ichigo. “Take a look at this photo a girl gave me.”

She handed the picture to Ryou. He glanced down at it—and shock flashed across his face.

“A girl gave you this?” he said.

“Yeah,” said Ichigo. “She kind of looked like an older version of this girl.”

Ichigo pointed to the young blond girl in the picture. Ryou shook his head.

“It's not possible,” he said.

“What's not possible?” said Lettuce.

“Yeah,” said Mint. “Do you know this girl or something?”

“I think 'knew' is a better word,” said Ryou.

Ryou set the picture down on a table.

“Her name was Leoti Azarola,” he said. “She was brought to an orphanage at a young age. Her father died in the orphanage, and she was adopted by the orphanage owner's daughter Rachel and her boyfriend Cody.”

He pointed to the Hispanic woman and the Japanese man.

“They got married five years later and inherited the orphanage. They were pretty good friends with my parents.”

“What happened?” Lettuce asked.

Ryou looked out the window.

“It was Leoti's thirteenth birthday. Rachel, Cody, Rachel's friend Erin, Leoti's friend Chantilly—they were the only ones in the building that day. The police said later that there had been a gas leak.”

“It caught fire?” said Zakuro.

“Worse,” said Ryou. “It completely blew up. No one made it out.”

Silence permeated the room. Ichigo stared at the little blond haired girl in the picture. She was absolutely sure that it was the same girl that had given her the picture—but Ryou was so sure that they were all dead. Had it been a ghost?

“Should we check out the address?” she asked tentatively.

Frantic knocking answered Ichigo. She walked to the doors and opened them. Pudding was outside, panting.

“Pudding?” said Ichigo. “Where were you?”

“At Leoti-oneechan's shop nanoda!” said Pudding.

“Leoti?” said Ryou.

“Yes nanoda!” said Pudding.

“Pudding, what do you know about this Leoti?” Ichigo asked.

Pudding scrunched up her nose in thought.

“She got Tar-Tar's memories back, nanoda,” said Pudding. “And Kish and Pai's too nanoda.”

“What does that mean?” Ichigo asked.

Pudding took a deep breath and launched into an explanation: the day at the beach where she had met Tanya, how Tanya had used the Kyalda—which was also called Mew Aqua—to get Taruto's memories back, how Pudding had joined up with Leoti and the others (at this point she goes off on a tangent about who everyone is), then how it turned out that Taruto was really Taruto and he wasn't really supposed to attack the mews and so now he was a good guy, and Kish and Pai were really Kish and Pai and they were good guys too because they had just gotten their memories wiped by a creepy evil banshee and how they were really a magical group called the Kyaldians back on their planet where they had to defend their city from kirema anima just the way the mews defended Tokyo but there was also this evil person called Deep Blue who was behind it all and Kish had dreamed about this prophecy from three million years ago that said that the Kyaldians needed the help of the mews to defeat Deep Blue but now Ichigo didn't like Kish so that was a big problem but Ichigo-oneechan should really just forgive him and be done with it so that we could save the world!!

(Starfire's note: This has GOT to be the longest sentence in the world!!!!)

Ichigo stared at Pudding for a moment as she absorbed the immense amount of information that had just come out of Pudding in one big burst. Actually, it took a whole five minutes before she could compose herself enough to answer.

“So you're saying that Kish isn't Kish and he is actually one of the good guys?”

Pudding nodded enthusiastically.

“And Ichigo-oneechan should just forgive him for being a weirdo before because it wasn't really him doing it nanoda!” she said. “He had his memories replaced!!”

Ichigo glanced at the other mews. She could read their expressions—they were on the same train of thought she was. Pudding was a bit gullible...and memories being wiped and replaced? Kish being part of a magical group like the mews? Kirema anima attacking the people who had created them? None of it made sense. What if someone had managed to fool Pudding so that they could get rid of the mews?

“EEP! Pudding-chan watch out!!”

Something small and blue hurtled out of the air and nearly landed on Pudding. Ichigo stepped back, remembering the thing that had fallen on Kish that day Blue Knight had appeared. The “thing” turned out to be a little girl with sort brown hair in small pigtails and wearing a dark blue school uniform. Ichigo couldn't help but notice the startling similarities between this girl and Taruto—same color hair, same color eyes, slightly longer hair and longer bangs but besides that, same style hair. She was also one of the “American” exchange students—and an alien. Plus, it was the same girl Ichigo had seen the night before with Taruto.

“Pudding-chan!” she said. “We've got trouble!”

“What is it nanoda?” Pudding asked.

“Leoti-san is gone! Is she over here somewhere?”

The little girl looked around.

“No nanoda,” said Pudding. “Leoti-oneechan isn't here.”

“What is going on?” Mint said. “Why is there an alien here?”

The girl looked over at Mint and winked.

“You say I'm an alien, but technically since I'm from another planet, your whole world is full of aliens for me,” she said. “Being an alien all depends on your point of view.”

Ichigo blinked. What the heck?

“All right,” said Ryou, pushing his way over to the open front doors. “What the heck is going on?”

“I said already!” said the alien girl. “Leoti-san is gone!”

“Leoti Azarola died seven years ago,” Ryou said sharply. “Don't try to deny it.”

The girl's eyebrows scrunched up in confusion.

“Leoti never told me anything about being dead,” she said. “I didn't know she was a zombie.”

Ichigo was kind of freaked to see that the alien girl looked dead serious about zombies.

“Don't joke,” Ryou said. “What are you trying to pull?”

“She isn't trying to pull anything!”

Another alien girl ran over, panting. Her long raven hair was matted with sweat and her silver eyes were glinting—the same girl that had been hugging Pai the night before.

“You try to hurt Tanya and I'm going to make you wish you weren't born,” she growled.

“Don't get angry, Orla-oneechan,” said the brown haired girl. “I don't think they're going to try and hurt me.”

The black-haired girl angrily blew her bangs from her face and marched over to stand firmly next to the little alien girl.

“Who are you and where do you keep coming from?” said Ichigo.

“Oh!” said the brown-haired girl. “I should have introduced myself! I'm Asai Tanya, Taruto's older sister! And this is Fallon Orla!”

Orla—the black-haired girl—responded to the introduction by sending a suspicious glare at the mews. Lettuce gasped suddenly.

“I saw you!” she said, looking at Orla. “In the library that day—that was you!”

Orla didn't acknowledge Lettuce. She continued to glance around the cafe, as though expecting a trap of some sort.

“Orla? Did you come this way?”

Yet another alien girl wandered over—this one with curly red hair and blue eyes. It was the girl that Kish had been kissing the night before. Ichigo and the girl locked gazes for a moment—then the alien girl dropped her eyes, looking scared.

Ichigo backed up with the other mews.

“All right, I don't know what you did to Pudding to make her believe you, but you can't fool the rest of us,” Ichigo said. “Pudding, come over here—they can't be trusted.”

“No!” Pudding said. “Tanya is my best friend nanoda!”

“Yeah!” said Tanya, eyes wide. “I wouldn't hurt Pudding-chan! Never ever!”

“Pudding, they are our enemy,” said Mint. “Oneesama, please convince her!”

Zakuro didn't seem to paying attention. She stared into the distance, squinting at something.

“Ryou,” she said. “Did you say that the black-haired woman in the picture died in the explosion?”

Ryou glanced at Zakuro.

“Erin? Yes,” he said. “She was in the building when it exploded. Why?”

“No reason,” Zakuro murmured, still staring at something in the distance.

Everyone watched her for a few minutes. She seemed to become aware of this and pointed at something.

“I was just wondering,” she said. “Because she's coming down the path right now.”

Ryou whipped to face the path, following Zakuro's finger. Ichigo squinted—there was the round-faced, green eyed woman from the photograph.

“Hello, Ryou,” she said, a smile brightening her round features. “It's been a long time.”

“Erin...” Ryou said, eyes wide.

* * *

_ Leoti _

When Leoti came to, darkness closed in on every side of her and threatened to swallow her up. She swallowed the fear that sprung up in her stomach and tried to move. Her fingers and feet moved easily, but her arms and legs seemed to be strapped to something at the ankles and wrists. She tried to roll her head—leather cut into her neck. This time the fear seeped all through her veins and she tried in vain to push away dark memories of secret labs and scientists.

She had to focus—she had been kidnapped by Ren, Yuuto and Kolora, NOT the CIA or the FBI. She was safe from scientists and experiments—but she wasn't sure if she was safe from anything else.

“Is she awake?”

Leoti caught the small voice like radar. Yuuto was somewhere outside of this room, about fifty feet to her left. She strained her elven senses to hear more.

“Yep,” said Ren's voice.

“Then let's start this mission already,” Kolora said testily. “I'm getting annoyed having to be cramped in here with you two.”

“Hey, this isn't a picnic for me either, volunteer,” Yuuto muttered.

“Contractor,” Kolora spat back at him.

“Both of you shut up,” said Ren. “This isn't as easy as it sounds.”

“All you have to do is get her really angry, right?” said Yuuto.

“That's definitely not as easy as it sounds,” Kolora grumbled. “That girl is emotionless.”

“We may not be able to make her angry, but causing an extreme amount of physical stress might trigger the transformation,” Ren said.

“Just push the button already then,” Yuuto said. “The sooner we get this over with the better.”

In a few seconds, Leoti assessed the situation. She had been kidnapped for a purpose—they were trying to make her angry or cause physical stress. How would that help them—

Oh no.

* * *

_ Ichigo _

The woman that appeared to be Erin made it the rest of the way up the path. Ichigo took a step back when she realized that Kish, Taruto and the purple haired girl from the night before were with her. Kish tried to catch Ichigo's eye, but she looked pointedly away. She wouldn't let this get to her—she wouldn't be fooled! Another girl with strawberry-blond hair—definitely the other girl from the picture—was also there. She winked at Ryou, which made Ryou look even more shocked.

Ryou stared at Erin, literally with his mouth hanging out.

“No need to stare so much, Ryou-kun,” Erin said, a smile making her round face seem even more cheerful.

“But—but you—”

“Yes, I apologize,” said Erin. “I have been gone for a long time.”

“You were dead, Erin,” said Ryou. “Not gone. Dead.”

“It's Erinda, actually,” she said. “But, yes, I was supposedly dead. However, only two people died in that explosion. I was not one of them. Due to extenuating circumstances, it was necessary that Leoti, Chantilly and I be presumed dead in this world.”

“But why?” said Ryou.

“Well, it's a bit of a long story,” she said. “Are you all willing to listen to a woman prattle on?”

Ichigo glanced at the others. Ryou definitely looked like he wanted to hear an explanation—Ichigo kind of wanted to hear one herself. She looked back at Kish—or Kish, or whatever his name was. He looked right at her and their eyes met. For a split second, Ichigo felt that...maybe he really was sorry for what had happened before.

Ichigo turned her attention back to Erinda.

“We're willing to listen,” she said.

* * *

_ Erinda's Story _

A little less than twenty years ago,Chen Azarola stumbled into the grounds of Mrs. Harris' orphanage. Chantilly was the first to spot the bloodied man and she sounded the alarm. Unfortunately, Chen died that night, but he left behind his daughter and her name: Leoti Momoka Azarola. Over the years, she grew into a fine young woman. She became best friends with the older Chantilly, and they had a number of adventures. I was traveling most of the time, but I came back every now and then to check up on the family. Rachel and Cody seemed very happy with their adopted daughter, and they stuck with her even when they got married.

It was Leoti's thirteenth birthday, and I made sure I was there—I suspected that she might have great powers, and they always show themselves on a thirteenth birthday. That day the rest of the orphans had gone on a field trip with the other caretakers. Rachel, Cody, Chantilly, Leoti and I were the only ones left in the building. It was a small but cheerful party and I don't think Leoti has ever smiled so brightly since.

But...

As I suspected, some powers did begin to surface—nothing as large as I had anticipated, but there. She suddenly showed some ability with manipulating fire when a napkin caught fire on one of her birthday candles, and when she glared at the growing flame, it vanished. I was impressed, as fire is hard to control, but I had expected more.

The “more” came, but not as I had hoped. The orphanage was attacked by two people. From my travels, I had picked up that Leoti had a half-brother and half-sister, both consumed by the darkness. They attacked us in the hopes of destroying Leoti to end a prophecy made by an old soothsayer at Leoti's conception.

(At this point Tanya interrupts: So Leoti-oneechan does have a brother? A brother named Toya like Meav-sama said?)

Yes, she does. However, his name isn't Toya anymore... Anyway, in the attack, Leoti showed me her true strength. In an attempt to protect us from a powerful fire attack, her own new powers slipped out of control and she blew up the whole building. I was able to shield most of us, but Rachel and Cody died instantly. After the battle, Leoti's half siblings vanished—perhaps they were worried about taking on her powers again. But whatever the case, Leoti was heartbroken and guilt-ridden. If I hadn't stepped in, she might have killed herself then. We would have stayed in this world a little longer...but the American embassy seems to have CIA agents in residence and they sent out scouts. I couldn't risk having Leoti out in the open where she might be taken away. So, to this world, we became dead. I took Leoti to Synoch, and we've been there ever since.

* * *

_ Ichigo _

Silence permeated the room for a few moments. Then Ryou broke the quiet.

“Her half-siblings,” he said. “Same father?”

Erinda shook her head.

“No. The three of them share a mother: a seductive banshee named Darkas. She died over fifteen years ago in a power struggle with a yokai.”

Tanya's hand shot into the air.

“Leoti-oneechan is half banshee??” she said. “But I thought she was an elf!”

“She is,” said Erinda. “Leoti is half banshee and half elf. However, she has renounced her banshee side and can no longer harness banshee powers.”

“Then who are her half siblings?” Orla asked, silver eyes sharp and penetrating. “You said her half brother is no longer called Toya. What is he called?”

Erinda looked sad.

“Leoti's half-sister you all know quite well,” she said. “Her name is Kolora.”

Ichigo heard Mairead gasp and saw Kendra's fists clench. Pudding whispered in her ear,

“That was the creepy black haired lady from the tower nanoda!”

Ichigo shuddered. Talk about family problems.

“And Leoti's brother,” Erinda said slowly. “You have never met him, but you all have heard the name he now uses. He now calls himself Deep Blue.”

No gasps this time. Just dead silence in which everyone stares with shock. Ichigo had heard that name before. Had Kish—wait, she meant Kish—said that name before? She sent a sidelong glance at where Kish had been leaning against a table. She stood straight up when she saw that he had dropped to the ground, his hands on his head like he had a nasty headache.

“Not him,” he muttered. “Not Deep Blue.”

Mairead was at his side, patting him on the back and whispering softly. Kish was trembling—was he really so terrified of this Deep Blue guy?

“Leoti is family with our enemy?” said Orla. “Are you serious?”

Zakuro's face hardened.

“You can't choose your family,” she said. “There's no stopping who you're born with.”

“So she's alive...” Ryou said softly.

Tanya piped up.

“That still doesn't solve the problem that Leoti's missing!” she said. “We don't know where she is!”

Chantilly suddenly jumped up.

“Never underestimate this,” she said, tapping her head.

“What, you mean your empty head?” said Orla.

“I love you too,” said Chantilly, totally unperturbed. “Anyway, I always can find out where Leoti is.”

“Intuition?” Lettuce guessed.

“Almost,” said Chantilly, rummaging around her school bag. She pulled out a laptop.

“You can't get Internet service in this room of the cafe,” said Ryou.

“That's what you think,” said Chantilly, flipping it open.

It whirred to life. Ichigo walked over and looked over Chantilly's shoulder. Chantilly typed in a password and a huge picture of a giant puppy appeared on the screen, sitting in an adorable begging posture.

“It's cute!” Pudding and Tanya squealed.

Orla let out something that might have been a laugh.

“Don't diss the dog,” Chantilly said. “He's my inspiration and medium. All right Sparky, fetch Leoti.”

Nothing happened.

“Oops. Dang, what did I name that dog?” 

Chantilly scratched her head.

“Fido? Rover? Dipstick? Daphne? Dog Dude? Dude? Eric? No, that's not right...um...oh that's right! Shigure, sit!”

The dog moved. Ichigo yelped and felt her cat ears coming out. The dog sat down and barked, tail wagging.

“Great! Shigure, fetch Leoti!”

The dog barked again. Then he got up and trotted off screen. Everyone stared at the blank screen.

“What...was that?” asked Mint slowly.

“I was going to ask the exact same question,” said Orla.

“I said don't diss the dog!” said Chantilly. “It's my password/voice activated security! Who else is going to talk to the dog?”

“So that's the only way you can get to your files and stuff?” said Lettuce.

“Pretty much, yeah.”

The computer barked and a blue screen turned on. Ichigo recognized a map of Tokyo—she found Cafe Mew Mew where over ten dots were blinking.

“That's us?” she asked.

“Yep,” said Chantilly. “And Leoti is...right there!”

Chantilly pointed to a blinking amber dot.

“That looks like...” said Ichigo.

“It's the old church,” Kish said. “Where I attacked Zakuro.”

“More accurately, it's under the church,” said Chantilly.

Leoti's dot flickered and went out for a moment before coming back on.

“What does that mean?” Ryou asked.

Chantilly went silent for a moment.

“It means...” she said. “Well to put it bluntly, Leoti seems to be struggling to stay alive.”

Silence.

Kish straightened.

“Ichigo,” he said.

Ichigo didn't avoid his gaze this time.

“Listen Ichigo. I know you have no reason to trust me, but we need your help,” Kish said. “Will you help?”

Ichigo could feel all of the eyes trained on her. She had a strange sensation of hundreds of lives waiting for her decision—she felt if she made the wrong decision, she might cause disaster. She swallowed, then licked her lips. She looked into Kish's yellow eyes, the eyes of the person she had hated for so long. But now...the eyes were definitely different. Softer, maybe. She took a breath.

“Yes,” she said. “I'll help.”

* * *

_ Leoti _

Pain. Pain pain pain pain pain pain pain. That was the only thing her brain could process. The pain lanced through every vein and nerve. She was sure she had passed out for at least a moment, but the pain kept her awake.

She had to hang on. If she gave in the transformation would begin and she would have no more control over herself. But the pain... She wanted so badly to escape it, just to retreat into a corner of her brain where the pain couldn't reach her, or to slip softly into deep abyss of peaceful, painless death...

_ Leoti we're coming! _

The voice snapped Leoti back to her senses. Hang on, idiot. She had to hang on. If she didn't hang on then what would the Kyaldians do without her. Hang on... Hang on...

The pain continued to roar through her and she wished with all her heart that it would stop.

* * *

_ Kish _

Kish streaked across the sky, not worrying that humans might see him. He was getting a faint connection to Leoti. Extremely faint, but it meant that she was still alive. The other five Kyaldians zoomed behind him and Mairead flew by his side. Just below them, Tokyo Mew Mew ran along rooftops.

“There's the church!” said Tanya.

“I see it nanoda!” Pudding called from below.

Kish descended slowly and landed before the great oaken doors. Ichigo landed neatly with cat reflexes next to him.

“So where is she?” Ichigo asked.

Kish focused on the wavering connection. She was somewhere about fifty feet in front of them, then some fifteen feet to the right...then maybe seventy feet down. How did they get down?

“Could we teleport down?” Tanya asked.

“I doubt Ren would overlook putting up blocks,” said Orla.

“We could give it a try,” said Mairead.

Kish closed his eyes and felt for barriers. He ran across a huge invisible wall that blocked teleportation soundly.

“No use,” he said.

Orla closed her eyes. Kish could almost feel her waves moving down into the ground.

“There's a tunnel,” she said. “We can teleport in there and I think it runs all the way to that chamber that's blocked off.”

“Great,” said Mint. “But we don't have the super powers of teleportation.”

“Don't worry!!” said Tanya. “I can teleport you down there!”

She held up two fingers pressed together and slashed them down. Tokyo Mew Mew vanished in a ripple of air.

“We'd better join them,” said Kish, teleporting down below.

When he stepped out of the air, he was face to face with a kirema anima.

“What kind of sick joke is this???”

Kish whipped around. Ichigo was running away from a giant kirema cat.

“Wind Sais!” he shouted.

He hurled one sai at the cat and it struck home. Kirema shrieked and vanished. Kish's sai appeared back in his hand.

“Uh, thanks,” said Ichigo.

“Um, you're welcome,” said Kish.

“Behind you!” Ichigo shouted. “Ribbon Strawberry Surprise!”

Kish ducked under the bubbles and they hit the giant kirema lizard with wings.

“Thanks,” said Kish.

Ichigo nodded. Orla, Tanya and Kendra fell back next to Kish and Ichigo.

“There's so many of them,” Orla said with a touch of wonder in her voice.

“This whole chamber is full up!” said Kendra.

“No wonder we were able to teleport in here,” Kish muttered.

Hundreds and hundreds of kirema anima lined the corridor, glaring at the mews and Kyaldians with glowing eyes.

“Anybody got a good plan?” Mint asked.

“Hey, that was my question,” said Kendra.

Kish thought fast.

“We'll never make it down there if we try to take on all of them at once,” he said. “We need a way to destroy one at a time by separating them.”

“I've got it!” said Ichigo. “Pudding can trap several at once with her attack. The pudding will blocked the rest of the chamber so the other anima can't get to us. Then we can destroy the ones in the jelly and trap the next batch.”

Kish glanced back at Ichigo, impressed with the way she had assessed the situation so quickly. He was also a bit surprised that she had said about the same thing he had been about to say.

“Sounds good to me,” he said. “Kendra, Orla, you go to the right and left in case anything gets past.”

“Mint, Lettuce, you too,” said Ichigo.

The four split up to either side of the cavern.

“Pudding and Tanya, you guys both do the attack,” said Kish.

Tanya and Pudding both ran forward.

“Pudding Ring!”

“Crystal Baton! Copy: Crystal Ring!”

The pair went back to back.

“Ribbon...”

“Pudding Ring Inferno!”

“Crystal Ring Inferno!”

The double attack surged up the cavern, taking down five kirema anima at once and trapping them. Other kirema anima tried to get though instantly—a few smaller ones slipped around.

“Lettuce Castanets!”

“Mint Arrow!”

“Moon Katanas!”

“Shadow Lance!”

The Kyaldians and mews lined up, forming a wall across the open edges between the cave wall and the pudding.

“Ribbon...”

“Lettuce Rush!”

“Mint Echo!”

“Moon Dance!”

“Shadow Javelin!”

None of the kirema anima that got through stood a chance.

“Ribbon...Strawberry Surprise!”

“Ribbon...Windstorm!”

The first batch of kirema anima in jelly were destroyed instantly.

“Zakuro, you run ahead to slow the stampede while we charge the next attack!” Ichigo shouted.

“Taruto, you too!” Kish shouted.

“Ribbon Zakuro Spear!”

Zakuro's whip cracked across the line of kirema anima about to charge. Several defused and the others fell back.

“Ribbon Vine Strike!”

Taruto's vine attack burst from the ground and blocked the bolder anima from sneaking past Zakuro's whip.

“Ribbon...”

“Pudding Ring Inferno!”

“Crystal Ring Inferno!”

The process repeated again...and again...and again..........and again........................and again..........................

Kish slumped against the wall of the now empty cavern.

“Done,” he said.

“Mission cleanup crew completed,” Tanya said, half asleep.

“That was the toughest battle I've done,” Ichigo said, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

Kish struggled to his feet.

“We can't stop yet,” he said. “Leoti is still somewhere up ahead.”

He took a step forward—then a spear jabbed into his mind, crashing into him like a tsunami and he doubled over in pain.

“Kish!” 

“Oniichan!”

“Kish, what happened?”

“Are you okay?”

The voices were all so far away. Kish could barely think past the scream ringing in his mind and the pain shrieking through his body—he couldn't even tell if he was screaming or not. But the pain... Make it stop...

Just as suddenly it vanished. Kish gasped for breath, falling forward on his hands and knees. Mairead was at his side, a hand outstretched to keep him from falling.

“What happened?” she asked softly.

Kish managed to gasp out a few words.

“Leoti,” he said. “That way.”

He pointed forward into the darkness.

“Did she make contact with you?” Kendra asked.

“Not sure,” he said. “I don't think...she was...trying to.”

Kendra glanced over at Orla. Kish knew what they were thinking—if Leoti was struggling so much to stay alive that she could barely control where her mind waves were going—well, she probably couldn't hold on for much longer.

“Let's go,” Kish managed to get out.

He tried to stand up and stumbled. Mairead caught his arm and helped him up.

“Just be careful,” she said. “I don't want you to fall over and kill yourself.”

Kish nodded painfully and started to hobble down the corridor. He tried to ignore the funny look that Ichigo was giving him, but as he walked on, he couldn't help but realize how surprised Ichigo had been to see any sort of weakness in him.

* * *

_ Ichigo _

Ichigo's footsteps echoed eerily down the dark tunnel. Every step reminded her of the strange dreams she had been having of running down long corridors with a faceless someone beside her. She was still remembering the way Kish had collapsed moments before—after seeing him as such a creeper and being so evil to her, she couldn't imagine any sort of weakness in him. It almost...made it easier for her to forgive him.

But as the thought entered her mind, the memory of unwanted lips against hers smacked into her like a train and she decided to try not to think about Kish at all for now. She instead turned her attention to the other aliens. Mairead walked close to Kish, catching him every now and then when he stumbled. Ichigo didn't want to think about Kish so she looked over at Orla. Her silver eyes darted around the corridor, every muscle tense. She was a little like Zakuro with the way she held herself and the way her eyes looked.

Tanya skipped down the corridor with her arm linked in Pudding's—they looked almost like twins from the looks on their faces. Somehow Tanya had managed to hook her arm around Taruto's and he was dragged along behind Pudding and Tanya with an expression of absolute humiliation on his face. Just a bit farther ahead, Kendra walked briskly with her huge purple dragon wings folded tightly to her sides so she wouldn't hit the cave walls with them. Kendra had a air of calm and relaxation about her, as though unworried by the situation—but the tense look on her face ruined the effect.

_ They're all so different from us—but so much the same at the same time. _

Suddenly the tunnel broke out into what looked like a black hole into void.

“It's in here,” Kish said suddenly. “Leoti's somewhere in here.”

Ichigo peered in the murky blackness.

“I can't see a thing,” she said.

“Me neither, and I'm half moon wraith,” Orla said. “I think it's some kind of magic.”

“What are you guys talking about nanoda?” said Pudding. “Pudding can see fine nanoda!”

Ichigo stared at Pudding, aware that everyone else was also staring at the yellow mew.

“You can see just fine,” Kendra said slowly.

“Yes nanoda!” said Pudding. “There's a girl lying a table thingy in the middle of the room nanoda!”

Ichigo looked back into the inky darkness. Was it possible?...

“Can you show us the way through?” Ichigo said.

“Yes nanoda!”

Pudding took a step forward into the chamber—and vanished. Tanya let out a frightened yelp.

“Pudding-chan!” she said.

Pudding's head reappeared.

“What's wrong nanoda?” she asked.

Tanya jumped on Pudding and hugged her.

“I couldn't see you! That was scary!”

Ichigo looked back at the others.

“This just got a little trickier,” she said.

“Anyone got any ideas?” Kendra said.

“I've got one,” said Orla.

Moonlight flickered to life between her fingers, winding into a long string. The string grew longer and thicker, longer and thicker until a thick strong rope of moonlight rested in Orla's hands.

“Okay, everybody tie yourself on,” Orla said. “Pudding, you're in front.”

It took minutes to attach everyone to the rope.

“Okay, if the rope breaks, vanishes, gets eaten, tears, disappears, dissolves or in any way becomes unusable, shout so no one goes any farther without you,” said Orla.

“Not particularly reassuring,” Mint said, staring suspiciously at the rope around her waist.

“Let's go,” said Zakuro.

Pudding stepped into the darkness. The others vanished into the black hole one by one, making Ichigo feel sick. Finally it was her turn. She made sure the rope was tied tightly and walked after her friends. The rope's tug was her only lifeline. Everyone was black—blacker than night, blacker than oil, blacker even than black itself. It all closed around her, making her feel as if she was going to suffocate. Both her hands gripped the moon rope firmly. Disorientation threatened to throw her off balance because she couldn't see her hands or the rope, but she closed her eyes and pretended that everything was light outside her eyelids.

“Ichigo-san, you can open you eyes now.”

Ichigo did open her eyes and stared into Lettuce's face. It took her a second to realize that she could see now.

“What happened?” Ichigo asked.

“I think we got through all of that,” she said.

Ichigo turned to where Lettuce was pointing. A swirling black wall of mist hovered a few inches behind her. She couldn't see a thing through it.

“That was it?” she said.

Lettuce nodded.

“Leoti-oneechan! Wake up!”

Tanya's voice cut through Ichigo's thoughts. Ichigo turned around, remembering why they had come. Like Pudding had said, there was a girl lying on something—but it sure wasn't a bed. Ichigo shuddered just looking at that thing: it looked like a medical table with leather tie straps holding the girl down. Not to mention those really creepy wires that appeared to be sticking from her wrists.

“Leoti-san!”

Ichigo ran over. This had to be the girl that she had seen earlier at the cafe—except it didn't look like she was breathing.

“Is she—” Ichigo started.

“She's alive,” said Zakuro said, her hand on the girl's wrist to feel for a pulse. “Just barely.”

“She's in a self-induced coma,” said Orla. “I've seen this kind of thing before—someone is in so much pain they force themselves into a coma to protect themselves.”

“What are those things?” Lettuce asked, pointing at the wires attached to the girl's wrists.

Kendra squinted at them.

“No idea,” she said. “They look like some kind of electrical wires, but what would they be doing here?”

Kish looked up.

“Maybe they were what was causing her so much pain that she put herself into a coma,” he said.

“Ooh, nice job, Windy.”

Ichigo remembered that voice—it was the woman from the tower. The one that supposedly wiped the memories of Kish, Pai and Taruto. Kolora dropped down from nowhere, landing next to Kish.

“Well done, Windy, you figured that out quickly,” she said.

Kish jerked away from her. Wind swirled to his fingers, then burst forth in a sideways whirlwind towards Kolora. It would have hit her if she hadn't brought up a shield of black fire and absorbed the wind.

“You never learn, do you Windy?” Kolora said. “My fire magic feeds off of your wind magic.”

The black fire leapt off the ground and smashed into Kish. Kish flew across the room, just managing to catch himself before he went into the dark mist.

“Kish!” Mairead screamed.

Another blast of fire hit her in the stomach and she skidded across the floor and into the mist.

Kendra was already charging Kolora even before Kish had caught his breath. The lance sparked to light in her fingers and she thrust it forward in a deadly move. Kolora dodged easily and hit Kendra in the side of the head with an elbow. Kendra dropped like a rock to the ground, instantly unconscious.

Orla darted at Kolora from behind, katanas flashing. A sword of black fire burst into life at Kolora's fingertips and she met Orla's downward stroke easily. They parried for a few moments until Ren stepped from the air beside Orla and joined the fight. Orla was hopelessly outnumbered and she fell down, her swords skidding across the floor with a clatter. Kolora kicked Orla in the stomach before turning to block the baton twirling towards her head. 

Tanya jumped all over the place, trying to catch Kolora off guard with her agility. Taruto flew to her assistance, swiping at Kolora with her daggers. Pudding leapt to help her friends—the strategy might have worked if it hadn't been for Yuuto's sudden appearance. He threw a handful of gray dust at the two younger girls, who instantly fell asleep. Taruto zoomed angrily after Yuuto. They clashed their daggers together for a few moments, then Yuuto managed to sneak in a punch to Taruto's stomach, sending him flying into the dark mist.

Ichigo fell back with Mint, Lettuce and Zakuro.

“We can't take them one-one-one,” Zakuro said. “We have to work together.”

“Right,” said Mint. “Anybody got a plan?”

“Mint, you go up into the air while Zakuro and I distract them. Attack from above while Lettuce uses her water to block the dust attacks,” Ichigo said. “Zakuro can then use her whip to throw them off balance and I'll try to finish it.”

“What if something goes wrong?” Lettuce said.

“Then make it up as you go,” Ichigo said. “Whatever happens, stay together—don't let them separate us!”

The group broke. Mint zoomed into the air and Lettuce darted to one side. Yuuto made a move towards Mint but Zakuro shot forward, blocking him with her whip. Ren started going towards Lettuce before Ichigo threw her Strawberry Bell at his head.

“Ribbon Mint Echo!”

The attack flew down, hitting Kolora square in the chest.

“Mint Echo! Mint Echo! Mint Echo!”

The next shot struck Ren in the arm, making him drop his sword. Yuuto dodged the second shot, but the third one hit him in the back. He dropped to the ground and threw green dust into the air.

“Ribbon Lettuce Rush!”

A torrent of water from Lettuce's castanets sprayed the dust down. More water shot out to hit stray bits of dust. The plan was working!

“Ribbon Zakuro Spear!”

Zakuro's whip flashed out—but that was when it went wrong. Kolora anticipated the move and vanished, reappearing behind Zakuro. Zakuro only just barely managed to swing the whip around so she could smack Kolora's sword away. But when the whip vanished moments before it hit Ren and Yuuto, they had a chance to react. Yuuto shot upwards, knocking Mint out of the air where she landed on Lettuce. Ren slammed his shoulder against Ichigo and she fell down.

“Ribbon Windstorm!”

Ren flew off of Ichigo as the whirlwind hit him full in the chest and she scrambled to her feet.

“You okay?” Kish asked.

“Yeah,” Ichigo panted. “Where are the others?”

“Kendra, Tanya and Pudding are still knocked out,” Kish said. “Orla, Lettuce and Mint are almost able to get up , and Zakuro is still busy with Kolora. I think Taruto and Mairead are still lost in the mist.”

Cold sweat matted Kish's hair—he was worried. No more than that: he was afraid.

“This isn't good,” he said. “We're already tired from the fighting in the tunnel, and these guys are fresh.”

“Well we can't stop—” Ichigo started. She cut off abruptly, noticing the black threads of fire winding their way towards Kish...

“Watch out!”

She shoved Kish to the side and the threads of fire darted forward, snaring her instead. The wrapped tightly around her, squeezing the air from her. A thread flew around her mouth, preventing her from calling for help and another wrapped around her neck—she couldn't breath!! It tightened around her arms, holding her still and helpless.

“Ichigo!” Kish shouted.

Kolora appeared behind Ichigo and Ichigo could feel something cold and sharp pressed against her throat.

“All of you better stop fighting or kitty-cat's gonna die,” Kolora hissed.

Ichigo thought her heart was going to stop from the terror running through her veins. Every time she had fought a kirema anima, it had been easy—even fighting Kish hadn't made her afraid. Fighting had always made her angry, if anything. Even during the times when it was obvious that Kish was trying to kill her, it never seemed like she was in any real danger—it had felt almost like a game. The aliens had always been defeated once and then they left until later.

This was different. Ichigo had no doubt that Kolora would kill her if given a reason. This wasn't a game—this was a fight that neither side was going to give up on. 

“Well Windy?” Kolora hissed. “What's it going to be?”

Ichigo could see Kish trying to think. He was trying to think of a way out of this. Everyone else was frozen, too, trying to find out some way to get to Ichigo before Kolora killed her. Ichigo wasn't sure if there was a way. She closed her eyes, ready for whatever happened—they had to keep fighting, no matter what happened to her! Tokyo's future depended on it!

Metal clattered against stone. Ichigo opened her eyes. Kish had dropped his sais. Instantly, Ren was behind him, wrenching Kish's arms behind his back. Kish had...surrendered? To save her? One by one, the others dropped their weapons as well.

“Good choice,” Kolora said.

The knife moved away from Ichigo's neck and the threads of fire loosened enough for her to breathe. Ichigo felt tears pricking her eyes. They were giving up just to save her—had she ruined everything? They weren't going to be able to win this battle, and it was all Ichigo's fault.

“Yuuto, we'll clean up here,” Ren said. “You take the girl out—we'll finish with her later.”

At first, Ichigo though they were talking about her. But Yuuto moved instead towards where Leoti lay on the table. He started untying the leather tie straps. He removed the wires from her wrists. But when her started untying the neck strap, Ichigo thought she saw something odd. Was it just her, or had Yuuto just slipped something into Leoti's slightly open mouth?

Leoti's eyelids flickered suddenly. Yuuto broke the last strap without untying it. Then Leoti suddenly burst up from the table, knocking Yuuto to the ground. Ren and Kolora whipped around.

“Release the mews and the Kyaldians,” Leoti snarled. “Now.”

The knife was back at Ichigo's throat.

“You'll surrender or I'll kill her,” Kolora said.

“No and no,” Leoti said. “I won't surrender, and you won't kill her.”

Leoti brought one hand down in a slicing motion and the black fire threads vanished. At the same time, the knife vanished and Kolora was pushed backwards.

Ichigo could have sworn there was fire in Leoti's eyes and that sparks were flying from her. Leoti whipped to face Ren, who was still holding Kish's arms behind his back. Leoti waved a hand and fire sprang up around Kish, forcing Ren to let go. The fire vanished, leaving Kish unharmed. Instantly he snatched his sais.

Kolora was back on her feet, the black fire sword in her hands.

“Looks like you've still got it, little sister,” Kolora hissed.

“Oh, I've got more than that,” Leoti said.

She slid a hand into her pocket and pulled something free.

“An Eversphere!”

Ichigo didn't know who had spoken, but she wasn't sure if she cared—something new was happening here.

* * *

_ Kish _

Kish stared at the small necklace that Leoti was now holding—an amber Eversphere. But only Kyaldians had those!

_ “Then who’s Kyalda Amberfire?” _

_ “She would prefer her identity be kept a secret for now,” said Leoti. “I will not be the one to reveal her.” _

Only moments after the memory surfaced, Leoti had shouted the words.

“KYALDA AMBERFIRE! METAMORPHOSES!”

Fire crackled as the whole chamber burst into amber light. When the light faded, Leoti had changed. She wore a short amber colored dress that shone and wavered like a fire. A pair of golden wings stretched out behind her and red fox ears poked from her hair. I long bushy fox tail twitched behind her, brushing against her tall black boots.

“Well, well, well,” Kolora said. “It's been a while since I've seen that get up.”

Leoti had calmed down—no longer snarling or glaring. She raised a gloved hand and a sword appeared.

“ _ En guarde _ , Kolora,” she said.

Kolora smirked. The pair clanged their swords together. Kolora feinted right, then left, then tried to get into the middle. Leoti didn't even try to block the feints, instead blocking the actual blow. How could she tell which ones were the feints and which were real? Kolora shifted her sword to one hand and came with a downward strike—while shooting fire from the other hand. Leoti didn't even pause—fire shot up from the ground to block the fire attack while Leoti kept both hand on her sword and knocked Kolora's sword from the weakened grip. Kolora's sword clattered across the ground and Leoti pointed her sword at Kolora's neck.

“Well then,” Kolora said. “Go ahead and kill me. Or don't you have the stomach for it?”

Leoti didn't acknowledge the remark, except to move the sword a little closer to Kolora. A flicker of fear shone in Kolora's eyes. Then Leoti's sword flashed downward, cutting across Kolora's upper arm.

“I'm not going to sink to your level,” Leoti said. “Now get out of here before I change my mind.”

Kolora clutched her bleeding arm, glaring at Leoti with an unmatched fury. Then she vanished. Ren vanished next. Where had Yuuto gone? Kish thought he saw Yuuto kneeling next to where Tanya and Pudding were still a sleep, but he was gone before Kish could get a closer look.

Tanya and Pudding sat up sleepily.

“What happened nanoda?” Pudding asked.

The black mist dissipated from around the room and Taruto and Mairead were suddenly visible.

“Finally!” Taruto said. “I couldn't even hear anything in that dang mist!”

Mairead ran over to Kish and hugged him, trembling. Kish hugged her back, soothing her gently. Leoti transformed back to normal and slowly sank to her knees.

“Leoti!”

“Leoti-oneechan!”

“Leoti-san!”

Zakuro darted forward and pulled Leoti up. She managed to get Leoti's arm over one shoulder to support the elven girl.

“Thank you,” Leoti murmured. “I...probably shouldn't have...used so much energy at once.”

“You saved us though, so it was worth it,” Kendra said, rubbing her head.

Leoti smiled faintly.

“I guess so,” she said softly.

“Let's get back to the surface,” Kish said. “Before they come back.”

* * *

_ Yuuto _

“So you have failed once again.”

Deep Blue's echoing voice grated against Yuuto's ears.

“Terribly sorry,” Ren said. “Leoti was more of a match than we expected.”

“She wasn't supposed to wake up,” Kolora grumbled.

Yuuto grunted noncommittally. Deep Blue's shadow was silent for a few moments.

“You may go.”

Yuuto was only too happy to leave. Unfortunately...

“Yuuto. You will stay.”

Ren sent his younger friend a grimace. This could be nothing good. Ren and Kolora vanished and Yuuto turned to face the shadow of Deep Blue.

“So,” he said. “What's up?”

Blue lightning suddenly coursed through his body. Pain surged through every part of him—there was no way he could have stopped himself from screaming. When it stopped, he was on the ground, curled up in a ball. Each breath rattled his lungs.

“Traitor,” Deep Blue hissed. “It was you that allowed Leoti to force herself into a coma and stop the transformation. You who managed to wake her up afterward. Don't deny it!”

“I wasn't going to,” Yuuto snapped, trying to get back on his feet.

It was all true: the sleeping poison he had used on Leoti had a special ingredient—one that lingered long after the sleeping poison wore off. After a few hours, it forced the victim into a deep coma. Perfect for sending Leoti away from the pain that may have triggered a dark transformation. Then when he had untied her from the table, he had slipped a small drop into her mouth that dissolved and caused instant wakefulness. Ren and Kolora had no knowledge of poisons and dusts—they would never had noticed. But Deep Blue on the other hand...

“You have broken the contract,” Deep Blue hissed.

“Not quite,” Yuuto gasped. “You never said a thing about that girl in the contract—all you mentioned were the Kyaldians.”

“Then why did you awaken the crystal Kyaldian and the yellow mew?” Deep Blue spat.

“No reason,” Yuuto muttered.

Lightning coursed through him again and he cried out. But no matter how much pain Deep Blue had put him through, Yuuto didn't regret a thing. In fact, he was rather pleased with himself.


	30. Taruto vs. Yuebin - Who Will Pudding Choose?

_ Taruto _

It was a gentle night, soft and quiet as a bed padded down with feather quilts. Stars twinkled against the velvety black sky, diamonds against the satin. Hardly anything stirred.

Taruto sat on the roof of Cafe Mew Mew, watching the moon slowly rise from the darkened horizon. He watched as the silvery light crept across the treetops, illuminating each one carefully. He strained his ears to catch the soft whisper of an owl's wings as it soared just above the tree line. Its yellow eyes flashed in the rising moonlight before it vanished beneath the leafy canopy.

A bump behind him made him turn. Pudding was crawling across the roof from the open trapdoor.

“What are you doing up here, Pudding?” Taruto said. “It's dangerous—you could fall off.”

“So could you nanoda,” said Pudding, sliding across the roof to sit next to him.

“That's different. I can fly.”

“I can land on my feet nanoda.”

They were silent for a few moments. Taruto felt a warm tingle in his cheeks, noticing just how close Pudding sat next to him. Ever since that day underground, he'd felt weird around Pudding. His sister insisted that he was in love with the yellow mew, but Taruto didn't think that was quite possible. He was only ten, after all. It wasn't like he was going to get married at that age, much less fall in love with someone.

Pudding hugged her knees, staring with intensity at the spreading moonlight.

“The trees look silver nanoda,” she said. “The moon's painting them.”

Taruto glanced over the trees. They did indeed look silver in the moonlight, as though the moon was the tip of a giant paintbrush soaked in silver paint.

“Yeah,” he said.

Pudding lay back on the roof.

“It's so quiet nanoda,” she said. “Not like at home.”

“Something wrong at home?” Taruto asked.

“No, just my little brothers and sisters are always noisy nanoda,” said Pudding.

“Doesn't your mom or dad get them to go to bed?”

Pudding got a sad little smile on her face.

“Pudding's mom died two years ago nanoda,” she said. “Pudding's dad is in China studying martial arts.”

What kind of dad left his ten-year-old daughter to take care five siblings alone after her mother died?

“Oh,” Taruto said, not sure what else to say. “Sorry.”

“It's not your fault nanoda.”

A few minutes later, Pudding was sound asleep. Soft snores wavered through the air. Taruto couldn't help himself—he smiled at the little girl. She could be so cute sometimes. Instantly, he pushed the thought away, hoping the blush would vanish from his face.

“Probably should take her home,” he muttered to himself.

Carefully, he scooped her into his arms and flew towards her house. It would have been faster to teleport, but Taruto kind of liked holding her so close.

Maybe Tanya was right—maybe he was in love.

* * *

_ Pudding _

Pudding yawned while scrubbing down one of the cafe tables.

“Are you okay Pudding?” Ichigo asked.

“Fine nanoda,” Pudding said sleepily.

“You sure?” asked Mint. “I haven't ever seen you this sleepy before.”

“I stayed up too late last night nanoda,” said Pudding. “It'll go away soon.”

“It better,” said Ryou, striding into the cafe. “Leoti just contacted me—there's a nasty looking kirema anima in the park. The Kyaldians are already on their way there.”

Instantly, Pudding was wide awake.

“Let's go nanoda!” she said.

It had been a week since the mews had helped rescue Leoti—there hadn't been another fight since. Pudding hadn't seen enough of her friends since then and she was eager to go fight with them again. (Even though Ryou offered to let them stay at the cafe, Leoti and the others had decided to keep the shop as their headquarters. The Kyaldians haven't really gotten out much while Leoti recovered—she wasn't able to perform any illusion spells for a while and the Kyaldians couldn't go places looking like aliens in Tokyo after all the TV coverage of the mews fighting them.)

Pudding transformed as she ran ahead of the group. Where was the kirema anima?

“Ribbon Crystal Mimic!”

“There they are nanoda!” Pudding shouted.

She barreled out into the park—a huge cactus thing stood in the center, swiping its huge hands at the Kyaldians.

“Ribbon Mint Echo!”

“Ribbon Lettuce Rush!”

“Ribbon Pudding Ring Inferno!”

“Ribbon Zakuro Spear!”

“Ribbon Strawberry Surprise!”

The attacks hit the kirema anima in several spots, but it didn't even flinch. Spikes grew from its hands and they shot themselves at the mews.

“Scatter!” Ichigo shouted.

Pudding flipped out of the way—seconds before a spike lodged itself into the ground right where she had been standing.

“Pudding-chan!” Tanya said.

“Tanya-chan nanoda!” Pudding said.

“Watch out!” Kendra shouted.

She shot forward and sunk her lance into the cactus's knee. It barely spared her a glance before kicking Kendra into the air. Luckily, her wings snapped out in time for her to catch herself.

“Let's go nanoda!”

She darted forward, shooting her jelly at the anima's feet and holding it down.

“Yes nanoda!”

“Nice job Pudding!” Ichigo shouted.

But their luck wasn't about to hold out. When it found itself unable to move its feet, the kirema anima pointed both arms at Pudding. The spikes grew and shot at her. Easily, Pudding flipped and darted around the spikes, landing on top of one.

“Same old tricks nanoda,” she said, unconcerned.

She felt her foot slipping from position. She scrambled for something to hold onto but the spike was coated in something slippery that she couldn't grip. Pudding tumbled onto her backside.

“PUDDING!”

Pudding barely had time to recognize that more spikes were surging towards her when two shadows moved at once in front of her. The first shadow threw itself in front of her—the second one ran forward and destroyed all the spikes with a few well-aimed punches. Then he leapt into the air and gave the kirema anima a barrage of rapid punches. The anima shrieked and vanished, defusing into an Infuser and a cactus.

When Pudding's heart finally slowed down, she took in the two shadows: the first one who had thrown himself in front of her was Taruto. He was still standing protectively in front of her in spite of his uncontrollable trembling. Her second rescuer was a tall, young-looking man wearing Chinese clothes. His eyes were nice looking.

Taruto finally sank to the ground.

“You okay Pudding?” he said.

Pudding nodded, not sure if she was able to speak yet. The combination of a near death incident, the concept of Taruto nearly dying for her and her Chinese savior was a bit too much for her to handle all at once.

“Pudding!”

Ichigo ran over to her younger friend.

“Omigosh Pudding, are you all right?” Ichigo said, helping her stand.

“I think so nanoda,” said Pudding.

“What was that?” Kish said.

“That guy totally destroyed the kirema anima!” said Orla. “By himself—with his bare hands!”

“It looked like the KouEnJi Kenpou fighting technique,” Pudding said.

At those words, the Chinese man looked up. He walked over to them and bowed to Pudding.

“Pleased to meet you,” he said. “I am Ron Yuebin, Pudding-ojou-san.”

“Huh?” said Pudding.

“Pudding- _ ojou-san _ ?” Ichigo said out loud.

* * *

_ Taruto _

Kish and the others went back to Leoti’s shop, but Taruto decided to tag along with the mews to the cafe. He wanted to keep an eye on this Chinese guy. He didn't like him. Taruto didn't know why, but he REALLY didn't like him.

“So you somehow knew Pudding’s true identity?” said Mint.

“It sure took us by surprise,” said Lettuce.

“It was obvious once she made her move,” Yuebin said. “I was sent here by her father, Master Wong Taren, to find her.”

Taruto remembered—Pudding's father had been studying martial arts in China. Did this guy know him?

“But this is so unbelievable,” Mint said. “Such a handsome guy came to Pudding’s rescue.”

Taruto recognized that kind of look on Ichigo, Mint and Lettuce’s faces. They thought this guy was cute. Taruto just thought he was creepy—did have pupils? Pudding walked over to the table.

“So why did father send you here anyway nanoda?” she asked.

Taruto hid a grin. Pudding didn’t seem taken in by this guy’s charms. For some reason, that made him happy. Yuebin stood up.

“Yes. Up until now, I’ve been training diligently with Master on Kenpou,” he said. “Master recently recognized my mastery of the KouEnJi Kenpou.”

Lettuce clapped.

“Congratulations!” she said.

Ichigo smiled brightly. Yuebin continued.

“Master’s words were, ‘KouEnJi Kenpou can only be passed down to one candidate. You must now go to Japan for one final lesson, if you wish to claim that honor.’”

Taruto grunted. This guy was into theatrics, huh?

“KouEnJi Kenpou succession?” Ichigo said.

“Final lesson?” Lettuce said.

“What is this final lesson all about?” asked Mint.

“I must compete with the other candidate for that right,” Yuebin.

He turned to face Pudding and pointed at her.

“I challenge you to a duel for the honor of the next successor,” he said.

“What?” said Taruto.

“EHHH?” the mews said at once.

The two stared at each other for a minute. Then Pudding crossed her arms.

“Very well nanoda,” she said. “But defeating Pudding, the 25 th successor of KouEnJi Kenpou, isn’t going to be easy nanoda.”

“I’m prepared for that,” said Yuebin. “Now, let’s begin.”

He bowed.

“My hands are ready nanoda,” said Pudding, bowing back.

“Hold on!” said Ichigo. “You’re doing it in here??”

“Yes, there’s no choice. We have to do it now,” said Yuebin.

The girls stared at him, then ran backwards so they wouldn’t get hit. Taruto took a few steps out of the way.

He watched carefully. He was positive that Pudding would win easily—not only was she extremely acrobatic; she had the enhanced abilities of the Red Data Animal Infusion. There was no way this human could beat her.

The pair both whipped out a set of plates on sticks, twirling them atop the poles. Pudding took a grounded stance like a mantis, while Yuebin rose onto one leg in the position of a crane. Taruto was suddenly aware that he was holding his breath.

The both moved at once, charging each other with the spinning plates in hand. They kicked out powerfully at each other, blocking and attacking only with their feet. Pudding dodged and struck with the agility of a monkey—yet Yuebin kept matching her. No matter how fast she moved, he was always ready to defend himself and then launch an attack at her. For a split-second, Taruto got worried. Pudding kicked him hard and Yuebin flew back into a table. The table crunched underneath him. But his plates were still intact and he jumped to his feet, running past her and knocking into her. Her plates fell to the ground and shattered.

“I...I lost nanoda,” she said.

Yuebin set his intact plates on a table and turned around, bowing.

“There’s another thing you should know,” Yuebin said.

“Eh?” said Pudding.

“You could say,” Yuebin said. “I just became your betrothed.”

Pudding blinked a few times.

“What does that mean nanoda?” she said.

But Taruto already knew. And that knowledge made his heart drop into his stomach with disbelief.

* * *

_ Pudding _

“It was decreed, should I win, I would become your fiancé,” said Yuebin.

“WHAT? ARRANGED MARRIAGE WITH PUDDING??” Ichigo, Mint and Lettuce said simultaneously. 

The shout made Zakuro, Ryou and Keiichiro come out from the back room to find out what the fuss was all about.

“What?? Why wasn’t I told?? This isn’t fair nanoda!” Pudding said, jumping up and down angrily.

“First of all, Pudding is still in grade school…” Ichigo said.

“Don’t you think this is a bit early?” Lettuce said.

“Well, we’re not getting married immediately,” Yuebin said. “I’m just stating the facts as they were conveyed to me by Master.”

“Having a child as a betrothed is pushing it,” said Mint.

Pudding sulked to herself. She didn’t want to get married to somebody that much older than her! What was her father thinking??

“It’s just super ancient ways nanoda!!” Pudding said, flailing her fists in the air.

She whirled on Yuebin.

“There’s no way I would agree to this marriage! EVER!” she told him. “Now leave this place at once nanoda!”

Yuebin smiled.

“I have no choice but to leave for now. But despite our disagreement, I’m not giving up,” he said.

“Whatever, I’m not changing my mind nanoda!” said Pudding.

“Very well.  _ Zan jian. _ ”

The Chinese man walked out of the café. Pudding didn’t take her eyes off of him until he was gone. Then she sighed.

“That was interesting, huh, Taru-Taru—” Pudding started. “Huh? Where did Taru-Taru go nanoda?”

* * *

_ Taruto _

Taruto flew towards Pudding’s house with a package of candy drops. He wasn’t quite sure why he was trying to visit her so late, but he felt like he had to see her—especially after that arranged marriage thing. He had to find out what Pudding thought of it—he hoped she was against it, but he had left the café before he had seen her reaction.

He landed in front of her door and raised a hand to knock. A movement caught his eye near the window. On an impulse, he peeked in—and immediately wished he hadn’t.

Yuebin was standing in front of Pudding’s stove in an apron and chef hat, stirring a big pot. Pudding ran past him and he stuck a spoonful of whatever it was into her mouth.

“Mm, its good nanoda!” she said, smiling at Yuebin.

“Please, have some more,” Yuebin said.

Taruto was already gone.

* * *

_ Pudding _

Pudding dashed into the back room of the café in an attempt to hide from Yuebin. For two days, he had appeared at her house, picked up her sister from daycare, made the meals, cleaned the house, and got her younger siblings riled up. She couldn’t even hide from him at work—he had come both days to try to make her like him. She couldn’t take this anymore! She had barely been able to see Tanya-chan or Taru-Taru at all!

Taru-Taru...

“Pudding-san?” Lettuce said.

Pudding could tell that Lettuce was right outside the door.

“Pudding-san, are you all right?”

“Pudding is fine nanoda!” said Pudding. “Pudding is just thinking about life’s major problems!”

Pudding heard Lettuce linger for a minute, then walk away. She sighed and slid down against the wall.

“Pudding doesn’t like this anymore nanoda,” she said.

Pudding stayed in the back room for hours. Taruto's face appeared in her mind. How long had it been since she had seen him? That time on the roof seemed so long ago, but she managed to bring it to mind clearly. She remembered watched the moon rise with Taru-Taru, then falling asleep against his shoulder. He seemed so much stronger than her, even though they were the same age. She couldn't remember how she had gotten home...Taruto must have taken her. 

Pudding sighed. She missed Taru-Taru. Ever since Yuebin had appeared, she had seen less and less of the alien. She'd have to find him after closing time. When closing time came around, she peeked out cautiously.

“Pudding, it's okay,” Ichigo said. “Yuebin-san left.”

Pudding sighed and went to go help the mews clean up.

“Are you going to be okay Pudding?” Ichigo asked.

“I don't know nanoda,” said Pudding.

“Do you think that Yuebin and Pudding have to get married?” Lettuce said. “I mean, they barely know each other.”

“It does seem like they're pushing it a bit,” Ichigo said.

“I'm not a big fan of the idea,” Zakuro muttered.

“I don't like it either!” said Mint quickly after Zakuro had spoken.

After cleaning up the cafe and changing into her regular clothes, Pudding left the cafe. She decided to take the long way home—most likely Yuebin had already picked up Heicha and was at her house cooking something right now. Definitely something Pudding didn't want to rush home to. Plus, she was hoping to run across Taruto.

She walked under a tree—something caught her eye up above. She had found Taruto lying on a tree branch.

“Taru-Taru!”

Taruto looked down.

“Oh. It's you.”

“What are you doing up there nanoda?” Pudding asked.

“Nothing,” Taruto said, coming down. “Where's that guy that follows you around all the time?”

“Yuebin?” said Pudding. “He's probably at my house already nanoda.”

Did Taruto look...upset? Pudding couldn't tell—his eyes were shadowed.

“So are you actually getting married to him?” Taruto said.

“I don't know nanoda,” said Pudding. “He says it was my dad's orders so...”

She trailed off. Taruto looked away from her.

“Pudding...can I tell you something?”

“What nanoda?”

Taruto still wouldn't meet her eyes.

“Pudding...I—”

Pudding took a step forward—and tripped. She tumbled into Taruto and the two of them rolled down a slope. When they came to a stop, Pudding suddenly realized that Taruto was on top of her. Were their faces really that close? She could see Taruto's face turning bright red.

“Pudding-ojou-san!”

Yuebin burst from the trees and shoved Taruto off of Pudding.

“Yuebin!” Pudding said.

“Ojou-san, are you all right?” Yuebin said.

He didn't even let Pudding answer before he turned to face Taruto. Taruto got to his feet, rubbing the back of his head.

“What are you doing to Pudding-ojou-san?” Yuebin said.

“I didn't do anything,” Taruto said.

“Don't lie!”

(Starfire: can't find a good breaking point to switch to Taruto's POV, so I'm just gonna switch randomly right here...)

Taruto bristled with anger.

“I'm not lying!” he said. “You're the one who's stalking Pudding everywhere!”

“But you are the one I found assaulting Pudding-ojou-san in the woods,” Yuebin said.

“I wasn't assaulting her!”

Taruto saw Pudding watching the both of them with wide eyes. Her confusion and fear just about made Taruto snap.

“Just leave Pudding alone!” Taruto shouted.

“Pudding-ojou-san is my betrothed,” Yuebin said.

“I don't care!” Taruto said. “I don't care if you're her fiance! I don't even care if Pudding likes you better than me!”

Taruto couldn't stop the words anymore.

“I'll deal with anything I have to if it makes Pudding happy,” he said. “Because...because I love Pudding.”

There—it was out. Taruto breathed heavily, feeling on the verge of tears. He wasn't quite sure how it began, but suddenly he was fighting with Yuebin. He darted around in the air, diving down to kick at Yuebin's head and then zooming upwards again. Yuebin matched him blow-for-blow, not allowing Taruto to gain the advantage.

When?

When had it happened?

When had he started to believe that if Pudding was gone, nothing mattered?

When had he started to feel that life was meaningless without her?

When had he noticed just how bright her smile was, or how beautiful her laugh was?

When?

All Taruto knew was that he never wanted to see Pudding scared, or unhappy, or crying. He just wanted to see her smiling. He wanted her to be happy—even if it meant without him. Even if he would be left behind. But though he told himself that, he knew that he wouldn't be able to survive if she did move on without him—even if he knew it would make her happy. He...he didn't want to see Pudding with Yuebin. He didn't want to see that. So he had to fight—he had to fight for her.

Taruto's body ached from the exertion. He could barely stay aloft. Attacking was useless—and his defense was weakening. Yuebin's fist moved in slow motion. Taruto could barely think past the fatigued buzz in his head. The punch made contact with his stomach and he slammed against a tree. Unable to fight the fatigue any longer, he crumpled to the ground.

Yuebin loomed over him. Was this how it was going to end?

“NO!”

Pudding jumped in front of Taruto, arms outstretched.

“That enough! Stop it nanoda!”

Yuebin pulled back his fist before it struck Pudding.

“Ojou-san...”

“Please, stop hurting him nanoda,” said Pudding. “Don't hurt Taru-Taru!”

Tears glittered on Pudding's face.

“Don't...cry...Pudding,” Taruto said. “Please...don't cry...”

Yuebin stared down at Pudding.

“Ojou-san...” he said. “Then...is this where your heart lies?”

Pudding gulped and nodded.

“Pudding loves Taru-Taru,” she said. “So please, don't hurt Taru-Taru anymore.”

Yuebin stood there a few moments longer. Slowly, he walked away until he was out of sight. Pudding whirled around and hugged Taruto.

“Oof!”

“Taru-Taru!” Pudding said. “I'm sorry Taru-Taru! I'm sorry nanoda!”

Taruto wiped a tear away from Pudding's eye.

“It's okay,” he said. “Don't...cry. I'm...okay.”

Pudding tried to smile, but she burst into tears again. The two of them lay there together with Pudding crying into Taruto's shoulder. Finally, her tears died away.

“Thank you, Taru-Taru,” she whispered.

Taruto nodded.

“I love you Pudding,” he said.

“I love you too nanoda.”

Taruto managed a grin.

“But, let's stay away from the marriage and betrothal thing until later, okay?”

Pudding grinned back.

“Definitely nanoda.”


	31. The Eve of Something New - Tensions Arise in Matters of the Heart!

“Yay it’s almost Christmas nanoda!”

Pudding leapt up in a reindeer costume, running around like crazy.

“Yay yay yay yay yay yay…”

Tanya instantly joined in.

“I want a costume too!” she said. “Pudding-chan, where did you get yours?”

The pair ran around the empty café. Kish laughed a little at their exuberance.

“They can get pretty crazy, can’t they?” said Orla, pulling chairs down from the table.

“Yep,” said Kendra, smoothing out her skirt. “Does this thing look okay?”

“You look good, Kendra,” said Orla. “Better than me anyway.”

The moon wraith glared at the frilly apron and attempted to smooth it. Now that Leoti was strong enough to perform illusion spells, the Kyaldians had decided to help the mews out with the café. It would be safer if the two groups stuck together in case of emergencies. Mairead came out from the back room.

“Kendra-chan, could you help me tie this?” she asked.

It was all Kish could do not to stare. Mairead wore a dark blue café outfit and her curly red hair fell prettily down her shoulders. Kish felt his face warming up. Mairead looked at him and she blushed too.

“That looks good on you,” she mumbled.

“Oh. Thanks.”

Personally, Kish hated the white shirt and bow tie thing he had to wear, but the second Mairead said she liked it, he liked it too.

“LOVEBIRD ALERT!” Tanya shouted.

Kish and Mairead jumped and flushed.

“Really, you guys are officially going out and you can barely look at each other without blushing,” said Orla. “You guys are hopeless.”

“Who’s hopeless?”

Ichigo came out into the main room, tying the bow behind her back.

“Never mind,” said Kendra.

“Am I the only one wearing the Christmas outfit?” Pudding pouted.

“The best you’ll get out of me is this Santa hat,” said Ichigo, pointing at her hat.

“I’ll wear one!” said Tanya.

“Yay nanoda!”

Ichigo looked over at Kish.

“Do you celebrate Christmas on your planet?” she asked.

“Yeah,” said Kish. “But we don’t have Santa Claus.”

“Really?” said Mint. “What do you have?”

“Noeru Senjo,” Mairead said. “She’s a snow spirit who went against the feelings of her kind to show kindness to the other races. Usually, snow spirits don’t care about anyone else.”

“Noeru Senjo,” Ichigo repeated, as though testing the words out. “That’s pretty.”

Lettuce tugged on her red beret.

“Does this look right?” she asked.

Orla tugged it to one side, straightening it out.

“Perfect,” she said.

“Thank you Orla-san,” said Lettuce.

Taruto walked out, fiddling with his bow tie.

“This thing is suffocating,” he grumbled. “Why do I have to wear it?”

“Uwah!” Pudding said. “Taru-Taru, you look really cute nanoda!”

Taruto flushed. Tanya sidled up next to her brother with a sly look.

“Hey, what are you getting Pudding-chan for Christmas?” she said.

“Huh?”

“Don’t play stupid, ototo-san!” Tanya said. “I know that you confessed your love to her just a few weeks ago!”

“Tanya!”

Taruto chased his sister around the room.

“Looks like fun nanoda!”

Pudding chased Taruto while he chased Tanya. Ichigo giggled. Kish couldn't keep himself from smiling either.

Mairead's cell phone jingled and she flipped it open to check the caller ID.

“It's Leoti,” she said, clicking to receive the call.

A second later, Mairead clicked off.

“I lost reception,” she said.

“Ugh, that happens to me all the time!” said Ichigo. “In the middle of important conversations too!”

“Like with Masaya, right?” said Mint.

Ichigo flushed bright red.

“There are other conversations besides the ones with Masaya!” she said.

“Oh, so you admit that all of your conversations with Masaya are important?”

Ichigo started trying to chase Mint, but the blue mew refused to run away, instead stepping to the side and forcing Ichigo to charge past and turn around to go after Mint again.

Mairead laughed and glanced over at Kish.

“I”m going to go outside and try to call Leoti again,” she said.

“All right,” said Kish. “Hurry back though. I think we're opening soon.”

Mairead smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

“You only want me to hurry cause you want to keep staring at me,” she said playfully.

“Hey!” said Kish, grinning.

“Woop! Score awesomeness points for Mairead!” Kendra said. “There's hope for you guys yet!”

The pair flushed and Mairead stepped out quicker than she might have. Just as Mairead walked outside, Ryou came out from the back.

“Hey Ryou,” said Ichigo.

“He's got that look,” Mint said.

“What look?” Tanya said.

“The one that means he probably about to tell us something,” Ichigo said.

“All right, now that you're done dissecting my facial expression,” Ryou said irritably. “I actually do have to tell you all something.”

“Ding, ding, ding,” Ichigo said. “Correct!”

Ryou scowled at Ichigo before speaking again.

“Cafe Mew Mew is going to be hosting a special Christmas ball,” he said. “Sort of a Cafe promo.”

“Really?” said Ichigo, perking up. “That sounds like fun!”

“Shirogane...” Zakuro said suddenly. “This isn't just a promo for the cafe, is it?”

Ichigo's face fell.

“Oh dang, why didn't I think of that?” she said.

Ryou rolled his eyes.

“Whatever. Just wanted to make sure you're all prepared,” he said. “You're all invited to come tomorrow night.”

He stalked back through the door. Ichigo moaned.

“Great. I bet this is just one of his schemes to draw out the bad guys so we can try to beat them again,” she said.

“But Ichigo-san,” Lettuce said. “If it really is a Cafe promo, then it will be open to the public. You could invite Aoyama-san.”

Ichigo paused for a moment. Then she shot across the room and gave Lettuce a huge hug.

“Omigosh Lettuce you're right! You rock!!”

“Um, you're welcome?” Lettuce said, obviously suffocating in Ichigo's hug.

Tanya jumped up and down happily.

“I can't wait!! It's gonna be fun!!!”

“Yeah nanoda!” Pudding said.

Taruto slowed to a stop, no longer being chased by the girls.

“Thank you, Ryou,” he muttered.

Ichigo suddenly stopped running in giddy circles, a look of horror on her face.

“Omigosh, I can't invite Masaya!” she said. “I can't dance to save my life! I'll make a fool of myself!”

She slumped into a chair. Tanya walked over to the pink mew. Uh oh. Kish knew that look.

“Kish-oniichan is a good dancer!” she said. “He can teach you how to dance!”

“Huh?”

Ichigo looked up at Kish, utter bewilderment on her face.

“You can dance?” she said.

Kish held up his hands.

“Not very well,” he said. “I know a little bit—”

“A little bit?” said Kendra. “He was the only one who paid any attention in that mandatory dance class for eighth grade. Matsuda-sensei thought he was amazing.”

Kish flushed.

“Really, I'm not that good at dancing...”

“You should teach Ichigo-neechan!” Tanya said. “So she can do it with her boyfriend!”

“But...”

“Go ahead, Kish,” Orla said.

“Go for it,” said Kendra.

“Ichigo certainly could use the help,” Mint said.

“But...” Ichigo and Kish said at the same time.

Mint pushed Ichigo forward as Kendra pushed Kish.

“Just teach her the basic steps, Kish,” said Kendra. “And you  _ are  _ good at dancing. I saw you with Mairead at the fall dance.”

Kish sighed.

“Fine,” he said.

“All right,” Ichigo mumbled.

“Okay,” Kish said. “You put your hand on my shoulder like this.”

“Like that?”

“Right. Then your other hand is in mine.”

“Okay...”

“Now generally, the boy leads, so just mirror what I'm doing.”

Slowly, with much stepping on toes, Kish and Ichigo moved around the room in a slow, careful dance.

“Not bad,” Mint said. “You're getting the hang of it Ichigo.”

“Really?” Ichigo said.

Lettuce and Tanya clapped.

“Now you have to move your feet like this...”

“Like this?”

“A little more out.”

“Okay.”

“Now step back, then forward...”

Ichigo moved carefully, determined not to make a mistake.

“You're too stiff. Relax,” Kish said.

And ever so slowly, Ichigo did. She even found that she was enjoying herself. Kish really was a good dancer and she suddenly seemed to be able to do the steps just as neatly as he did. In fact...she kind of....liked dancing with Kish.

The door opened just a crack—so slightly that Ichigo barely noticed. But then it snapped shut and the sound of footsteps running away reached her ears. The pair stopped dancing and Kish snapped to face the door.

“Mairead...?” he said.

“Uh oh,” Tanya said.

“What? Did I miss something nanoda?” Pudding asked.

“I think,” Kendra said. “Mairead might have taken that sight the wrong way.”

Kish started towards the door. Kendra's hand shot out to grab his shoulder.

“Leave her be,” she said. “I know how Mairead gets at times like these. She'll sort it out and come back.”

Kish shrugged off Kendra's shoulder, but he didn't move towards the door. His eyes were shadowed, his expression unreadable.

“Kish?” Ichigo said tentatively.

“Let's finish taking the chairs down,” he said, still expressionless. “Opening time is soon.”

He walked past Ichigo without looking at her. And for some reason, that made her feel hollow.

* * *

Mairead ran down the street, only having enough presence of mind to run around people on the sidewalk. The cold nipped at her bare skin—she hadn't thought to put a coat on over her cafe uniform. Ignoring the chill, the red haired girl continued to run as fast as she could go beneath the cloudy sky. No one paid her any attention and she paid no attention to her surroundings, taking random turns at crossroads.

What had happened? One moment, Kish had been the one she knew, the one that laughed and smiled at her all the time and clearly was in love with her. The next moment, she saw him dancing with Ichigo. Why? Why?

Slowly, her legs burned from the constant stress and she gasped for breath in the cold air. Mairead came to a stop, gasping as tears fell from her eyes. Her wet face stung, exposed to the winter air. She sneezed. Great—now she would catch cold on top of everything else.

“Are you okay?”

Mairead looked up. It was no one she knew. A dark skinned boy with dark hair and brown eyes stood before her. He did seem genuinely concerned...

Mairead tried to nod, but another sneeze interrupted her. She realized that she was trembling. Something warm came around her shoulders and she looked up again. The boy had given her his coat.

“I didn't think so,” he said. “Come on. I know a place where you can get warm.”

Mairead didn't resist, allowing the boy to lead her down the street. He opened the door to a small coffee shop and sat Mairead at a table. A few moments later, a steaming hot cup of cocoa sat in front of her.

“You'd better drink that,” the boy said. “Otherwise you'll freeze up.”

He smiled and Mairead sent him a grateful smile back. She sipped carefully at the hot drink.

“I'm Aoyama Masaya,” the boy said.

The name sounded vaguely familiar...

“Mairead,” Mairead said. “Nesbitt Mairead.”

“Please to meet you, Nesbitt-san.”

“You too, Aoyama-san.”

Slowly, Mairead began to warm up. She wiped at her face—the tears had dried on her cheeks.

“Are you all right?” Masaya asked. He paused. “I'm sorry. It's not really my business.”

“I...I just had some issue back there.”

Masaya didn't say anything. Mairead couldn't tell why, but she really liked this boy. There was something that drew her to him, something about his presence...she really did need to talk about it.

“The thing is,” Mairead said. “It's the boy I like. He's told me he likes me back, and we've been going out for a while. But just recently, we met a new group of people. There were some...issues between our two groups for a while but we got over it and now we're all really good friends.”

Masaya nodded. She could see in his eyes that he really was listening.

“But then, just today, I saw the boy I like dancing with one of the other girls,” Mairead said softly. Each word felt like a needle in her heart. “I'm not sure why, but...it just set me off I guess. I ran away and didn't look back.”

She trailed off. Masaya nodded slowly.

“I won't say I know how you feel, because I don't,” he said. “But I think I can understand it a little bit at least.”

He gave her a small smile.

“I think the best thing to do would be to go back,” he said. “Talk things over. Maybe something else was going on.”

Mairead looked down at her empty cup. That would be what she should do...but part of her just couldn't face Kish. She couldn't face the possibility that he didn't love her anymore. Maybe she was too dependent—but that didn't really feel like the case. It wasn't that she desperately needed him it was more like...she knew in her heart that they were supposed to be together. It was in Kish's smile and his laugh. In the way he listened to her when she needed it, protected her when she was in trouble, stood up for her when she couldn't stand up for herself, and stayed close to her when she was scared. It was the way he looked at her, a look that told her he felt the same way about her. It was the way they fed each others souls.

Facing him was the only option. She had to do it. When she finally looked up, Masaya smiled at her. She smiled back.

“Thank you, Aoyama-san,” she said.

He nodded. Mairead stood up and gave him his coat back.

“Thanks for everything,” she said. “I hope we can meet again sometime.”

“Me too.”

Mairead turned to the door and walked purposefully back out into the winter morning.

The problem was...she didn't expect to meet Kolora on the way.

* * *

Kish sat on Cafe Mew Mew's roof, staring into the cloudy horizon. Mairead wasn't back yet. They had already closed up the cafe an hour ago, and no sign of Mairead. He couldn't take this waiting much longer. Even his frequent attempts to contact her in their mind connection failed over and over.

The sound of someone coming from behind him caught his attention. He glanced back to see Ichigo clambering up through the roof door. He looked away just as quickly.

Ichigo didn't come any closer to him and she didn't say anything either. She was just there. Kish felt his pulse quicken. What was this? Why did he always feel so....strange around Ichigo?

He heard Ichigo sigh softly.

“Kish,” she said. “Listen. I just wanted to say sorry about before. I don't really know what happened.”

Kish felt the pit in his stomach lessen.

“It's not your fault,” he said.

“I still feel sorry.”

Kish looked down. He didn't want to look at Ichigo yet.

“I'm sorry too,” he said.

Ichigo moved to sit next to Kish, though neither looked at the other. They sat silently for a little while, Kish staring into the distance as Ichigo hugged her knees.

“Ichigo,” Kish said suddenly.

Ichigo waited.

“Do you remember when we first met? When I still had my memory erased?”

Ichigo swallowed and nodded. The memory sent pangs in both of their hearts.

“The first time...the first time I kissed you, it wasn't me. I don't know why I did it. Possibly Kolora thought it would be amusing to make me do it. But after that...”

The wind whistled around the pair.

“After the first time, I don't think it was Kolora that made me pursue you then. It was more like...like after that time, I needed more. Like a drug.”

Ichigo nodded, still not speaking.

“Even now, you still feel like a drug for me,” he said. “Like you get under my skin in a way I'm not used to. My pulse quickens when you're around. I start to feel different.”

Ichigo looked down. The only noise was the wind.

“Me too,” Ichigo said softly. “I think that's how it is for me too.”

Kish looked across at her, startled.

“I mean, the first times, I only got angry and scared when you chased me. But after a while, it was like a grew used to it. I got numb. Then it started to have an opposite effect on me, especially after you got your memory back.”

A bird cheeped loudly.

“It was like you were an entirely new person—someone that interested me in a strange way. I started becoming attracted, just because of the intrigue, I guess.”

She looked across at him, eyes sad.

“But the more time I spent around you, the more you felt like a drug. It made me feel alive, but only for brief periods. Then I would feel hollow again.”

The bird sang a few more bars, then the rustle of feathers broke the silence as it soared to the sky. Kish watched it go before speaking again.

“What about Masaya?” he said. “That boy you like. How do you feel around him?”

Ichigo brightened.

“When I'm with Masaya, I always feel like smiling,” she said. “When I see him smile, it makes me happy, no matter how badly I'm feeling. Even when I worry about hiding things from him, I feel like I belong.”

Kish smiled slightly.

“That sounds like me and Mairead,” he said. “Ever since we were kids, we always smiled around each other. We might get into minor fights with our other friends, but with each other, it was all smiles and laughs.”

Ichigo smiled too.

“It sounds like you really love her,” she said.

Kish closed his eyes, reliving the memories.

“When I'm with Mairead, all I know is that I love her. With all the fiber of my being, I love her. And when she smiles....”

He opened his eyes again and smiled.

“I want to protect her. No matter what, I want her to always be smiling.”

Ichigo smiled too. She reached across and touched Kish's hand.

“Then you know what you have to do, right?”

Kish blinked, confused.

“You've got to go find her,” Ichigo said. “You've got to tell her that. She'll never realize it if you don't tell her.”

Kish stared at Ichigo, the realization dawning.

“You might think she already understands, but the truth is, she probably just wants you to tell her.”

Ichigo smiled. Kish closed his eyes.

“Thank you Ichigo,” he said. “Thank you for putting it into perspective for me.”

“That's what friends are for, right?”

She held out a hand, pinky outstretched.

“Friends?” she said.

Kish nodded, hooking his pinky with hers.

“Friends,” he said.

He stood up.

“I'm going to find Mairead,” he said.

“Good luck,” Ichigo said.

Kish smiled and flew from the roof. He touched ground and ran down the street.

_ I'm coming, Mairead. _


	32. The Eve of Something New - Tensions Arise in Matters of the Heart!

“Yay it’s almost Christmas nanoda!”

Pudding leapt up in a reindeer costume, running around like crazy.

“Yay yay yay yay yay yay…”

Tanya instantly joined in.

“I want a costume too!” she said. “Pudding-chan, where did you get yours?”

The pair ran around the empty café. Kish laughed a little at their exuberance.

“They can get pretty crazy, can’t they?” said Orla, pulling chairs down from the table.

“Yep,” said Kendra, smoothing out her skirt. “Does this thing look okay?”

“You look good, Kendra,” said Orla. “Better than me anyway.”

The moon wraith glared at the frilly apron and attempted to smooth it. Now that Leoti was strong enough to perform illusion spells, the Kyaldians had decided to help the mews out with the café. It would be safer if the two groups stuck together in case of emergencies. Mairead came out from the back room.

“Kendra-chan, could you help me tie this?” she asked.

It was all Kish could do not to stare. Mairead wore a dark blue café outfit and her curly red hair fell prettily down her shoulders. Kish felt his face warming up. Mairead looked at him and she blushed too.

“That looks good on you,” she mumbled.

“Oh. Thanks.”

Personally, Kish hated the white shirt and bow tie thing he had to wear, but the second Mairead said she liked it, he liked it too.

“LOVEBIRD ALERT!” Tanya shouted.

Kish and Mairead jumped and flushed.

“Really, you guys are officially going out and you can barely look at each other without blushing,” said Orla. “You guys are hopeless.”

“Who’s hopeless?”

Ichigo came out into the main room, tying the bow behind her back.

“Never mind,” said Kendra.

“Am I the only one wearing the Christmas outfit?” Pudding pouted.

“The best you’ll get out of me is this Santa hat,” said Ichigo, pointing at her hat.

“I’ll wear one!” said Tanya.

“Yay nanoda!”

Ichigo looked over at Kish.

“Do you celebrate Christmas on your planet?” she asked.

“Yeah,” said Kish. “But we don’t have Santa Claus.”

“Really?” said Mint. “What do you have?”

“Noeru Senjo,” Mairead said. “She’s a snow spirit who went against the feelings of her kind to show kindness to the other races. Usually, snow spirits don’t care about anyone else.”

“Noeru Senjo,” Ichigo repeated, as though testing the words out. “That’s pretty.”

Lettuce tugged on her red beret.

“Does this look right?” she asked.

Orla tugged it to one side, straightening it out.

“Perfect,” she said.

“Thank you Orla-san,” said Lettuce.

Taruto walked out, fiddling with his bow tie.

“This thing is suffocating,” he grumbled. “Why do I have to wear it?”

“Uwah!” Pudding said. “Taru-Taru, you look really cute nanoda!”

Taruto flushed. Tanya sidled up next to her brother with a sly look.

“Hey, what are you getting Pudding-chan for Christmas?” she said.

“Huh?”

“Don’t play stupid, ototo-san!” Tanya said. “I know that you confessed your love to her just a few weeks ago!”

“Tanya!”

Taruto chased his sister around the room.

“Looks like fun nanoda!”

Pudding chased Taruto while he chased Tanya. Ichigo giggled. Kish couldn't keep himself from smiling either.

Mairead's cell phone jingled and she flipped it open to check the caller ID.

“It's Leoti,” she said, clicking to receive the call.

A second later, Mairead clicked off.

“I lost reception,” she said.

“Ugh, that happens to me all the time!” said Ichigo. “In the middle of important conversations too!”

“Like with Masaya, right?” said Mint.

Ichigo flushed bright red.

“There are other conversations besides the ones with Masaya!” she said.

“Oh, so you admit that all of your conversations with Masaya are important?”

Ichigo started trying to chase Mint, but the blue mew refused to run away, instead stepping to the side and forcing Ichigo to charge past and turn around to go after Mint again.

Mairead laughed and glanced over at Kish.

“I”m going to go outside and try to call Leoti again,” she said.

“All right,” said Kish. “Hurry back though. I think we're opening soon.”

Mairead smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

“You only want me to hurry cause you want to keep staring at me,” she said playfully.

“Hey!” said Kish, grinning.

“Woop! Score awesomeness points for Mairead!” Kendra said. “There's hope for you guys yet!”

The pair flushed and Mairead stepped out quicker than she might have. Just as Mairead walked outside, Ryou came out from the back.

“Hey Ryou,” said Ichigo.

“He's got that look,” Mint said.

“What look?” Tanya said.

“The one that means he probably about to tell us something,” Ichigo said.

“All right, now that you're done dissecting my facial expression,” Ryou said irritably. “I actually do have to tell you all something.”

“Ding, ding, ding,” Ichigo said. “Correct!”

Ryou scowled at Ichigo before speaking again.

“Cafe Mew Mew is going to be hosting a special Christmas ball,” he said. “Sort of a Cafe promo.”

“Really?” said Ichigo, perking up. “That sounds like fun!”

“Shirogane...” Zakuro said suddenly. “This isn't just a promo for the cafe, is it?”

Ichigo's face fell.

“Oh dang, why didn't I think of that?” she said.

Ryou rolled his eyes.

“Whatever. Just wanted to make sure you're all prepared,” he said. “You're all invited to come tomorrow night.”

He stalked back through the door. Ichigo moaned.

“Great. I bet this is just one of his schemes to draw out the bad guys so we can try to beat them again,” she said.

“But Ichigo-san,” Lettuce said. “If it really is a Cafe promo, then it will be open to the public. You could invite Aoyama-san.”

Ichigo paused for a moment. Then she shot across the room and gave Lettuce a huge hug.

“Omigosh Lettuce you're right! You rock!!”

“Um, you're welcome?” Lettuce said, obviously suffocating in Ichigo's hug.

Tanya jumped up and down happily.

“I can't wait!! It's gonna be fun!!!”

“Yeah nanoda!” Pudding said.

Taruto slowed to a stop, no longer being chased by the girls.

“Thank you, Ryou,” he muttered.

Ichigo suddenly stopped running in giddy circles, a look of horror on her face.

“Omigosh, I can't invite Masaya!” she said. “I can't dance to save my life! I'll make a fool of myself!”

She slumped into a chair. Tanya walked over to the pink mew. Uh oh. Kish knew that look.

“Kish-oniichan is a good dancer!” she said. “He can teach you how to dance!”

“Huh?”

Ichigo looked up at Kish, utter bewilderment on her face.

“You can dance?” she said.

Kish held up his hands.

“Not very well,” he said. “I know a little bit—”

“A little bit?” said Kendra. “He was the only one who paid any attention in that mandatory dance class for eighth grade. Matsuda-sensei thought he was amazing.”

Kish flushed.

“Really, I'm not that good at dancing...”

“You should teach Ichigo-neechan!” Tanya said. “So she can do it with her boyfriend!”

“But...”

“Go ahead, Kish,” Orla said.

“Go for it,” said Kendra.

“Ichigo certainly could use the help,” Mint said.

“But...” Ichigo and Kish said at the same time.

Mint pushed Ichigo forward as Kendra pushed Kish.

“Just teach her the basic steps, Kish,” said Kendra. “And you  _ are  _ good at dancing. I saw you with Mairead at the fall dance.”

Kish sighed.

“Fine,” he said.

“All right,” Ichigo mumbled.

“Okay,” Kish said. “You put your hand on my shoulder like this.”

“Like that?”

“Right. Then your other hand is in mine.”

“Okay...”

“Now generally, the boy leads, so just mirror what I'm doing.”

Slowly, with much stepping on toes, Kish and Ichigo moved around the room in a slow, careful dance.

“Not bad,” Mint said. “You're getting the hang of it Ichigo.”

“Really?” Ichigo said.

Lettuce and Tanya clapped.

“Now you have to move your feet like this...”

“Like this?”

“A little more out.”

“Okay.”

“Now step back, then forward...”

Ichigo moved carefully, determined not to make a mistake.

“You're too stiff. Relax,” Kish said.

And ever so slowly, Ichigo did. She even found that she was enjoying herself. Kish really was a good dancer and she suddenly seemed to be able to do the steps just as neatly as he did. In fact...she kind of....liked dancing with Kish.

The door opened just a crack—so slightly that Ichigo barely noticed. But then it snapped shut and the sound of footsteps running away reached her ears. The pair stopped dancing and Kish snapped to face the door.

“Mairead...?” he said.

“Uh oh,” Tanya said.

“What? Did I miss something nanoda?” Pudding asked.

“I think,” Kendra said. “Mairead might have taken that sight the wrong way.”

Kish started towards the door. Kendra's hand shot out to grab his shoulder.

“Leave her be,” she said. “I know how Mairead gets at times like these. She'll sort it out and come back.”

Kish shrugged off Kendra's shoulder, but he didn't move towards the door. His eyes were shadowed, his expression unreadable.

“Kish?” Ichigo said tentatively.

“Let's finish taking the chairs down,” he said, still expressionless. “Opening time is soon.”

He walked past Ichigo without looking at her. And for some reason, that made her feel hollow.

* * *

Mairead ran down the street, only having enough presence of mind to run around people on the sidewalk. The cold nipped at her bare skin—she hadn't thought to put a coat on over her cafe uniform. Ignoring the chill, the red haired girl continued to run as fast as she could go beneath the cloudy sky. No one paid her any attention and she paid no attention to her surroundings, taking random turns at crossroads.

What had happened? One moment, Kish had been the one she knew, the one that laughed and smiled at her all the time and clearly was in love with her. The next moment, she saw him dancing with Ichigo. Why? Why?

Slowly, her legs burned from the constant stress and she gasped for breath in the cold air. Mairead came to a stop, gasping as tears fell from her eyes. Her wet face stung, exposed to the winter air. She sneezed. Great—now she would catch cold on top of everything else.

“Are you okay?”

Mairead looked up. It was no one she knew. A dark skinned boy with dark hair and brown eyes stood before her. He did seem genuinely concerned...

Mairead tried to nod, but another sneeze interrupted her. She realized that she was trembling. Something warm came around her shoulders and she looked up again. The boy had given her his coat.

“I didn't think so,” he said. “Come on. I know a place where you can get warm.”

Mairead didn't resist, allowing the boy to lead her down the street. He opened the door to a small coffee shop and sat Mairead at a table. A few moments later, a steaming hot cup of cocoa sat in front of her.

“You'd better drink that,” the boy said. “Otherwise you'll freeze up.”

He smiled and Mairead sent him a grateful smile back. She sipped carefully at the hot drink.

“I'm Aoyama Masaya,” the boy said.

The name sounded vaguely familiar...

“Mairead,” Mairead said. “Nesbitt Mairead.”

“Please to meet you, Nesbitt-san.”

“You too, Aoyama-san.”

Slowly, Mairead began to warm up. She wiped at her face—the tears had dried on her cheeks.

“Are you all right?” Masaya asked. He paused. “I'm sorry. It's not really my business.”

“I...I just had some issue back there.”

Masaya didn't say anything. Mairead couldn't tell why, but she really liked this boy. There was something that drew her to him, something about his presence...she really did need to talk about it.

“The thing is,” Mairead said. “It's the boy I like. He's told me he likes me back, and we've been going out for a while. But just recently, we met a new group of people. There were some...issues between our two groups for a while but we got over it and now we're all really good friends.”

Masaya nodded. She could see in his eyes that he really was listening.

“But then, just today, I saw the boy I like dancing with one of the other girls,” Mairead said softly. Each word felt like a needle in her heart. “I'm not sure why, but...it just set me off I guess. I ran away and didn't look back.”

She trailed off. Masaya nodded slowly.

“I won't say I know how you feel, because I don't,” he said. “But I think I can understand it a little bit at least.”

He gave her a small smile.

“I think the best thing to do would be to go back,” he said. “Talk things over. Maybe something else was going on.”

Mairead looked down at her empty cup. That would be what she should do...but part of her just couldn't face Kish. She couldn't face the possibility that he didn't love her anymore. Maybe she was too dependent—but that didn't really feel like the case. It wasn't that she desperately needed him it was more like...she knew in her heart that they were supposed to be together. It was in Kish's smile and his laugh. In the way he listened to her when she needed it, protected her when she was in trouble, stood up for her when she couldn't stand up for herself, and stayed close to her when she was scared. It was the way he looked at her, a look that told her he felt the same way about her. It was the way they fed each others souls.

Facing him was the only option. She had to do it. When she finally looked up, Masaya smiled at her. She smiled back.

“Thank you, Aoyama-san,” she said.

He nodded. Mairead stood up and gave him his coat back.

“Thanks for everything,” she said. “I hope we can meet again sometime.”

“Me too.”

Mairead turned to the door and walked purposefully back out into the winter morning.

The problem was...she didn't expect to meet Kolora on the way.

* * *

Kish sat on Cafe Mew Mew's roof, staring into the cloudy horizon. Mairead wasn't back yet. They had already closed up the cafe an hour ago, and no sign of Mairead. He couldn't take this waiting much longer. Even his frequent attempts to contact her in their mind connection failed over and over.

The sound of someone coming from behind him caught his attention. He glanced back to see Ichigo clambering up through the roof door. He looked away just as quickly.

Ichigo didn't come any closer to him and she didn't say anything either. She was just there. Kish felt his pulse quicken. What was this? Why did he always feel so....strange around Ichigo?

He heard Ichigo sigh softly.

“Kish,” she said. “Listen. I just wanted to say sorry about before. I don't really know what happened.”

Kish felt the pit in his stomach lessen.

“It's not your fault,” he said.

“I still feel sorry.”

Kish looked down. He didn't want to look at Ichigo yet.

“I'm sorry too,” he said.

Ichigo moved to sit next to Kish, though neither looked at the other. They sat silently for a little while, Kish staring into the distance as Ichigo hugged her knees.

“Ichigo,” Kish said suddenly.

Ichigo waited.

“Do you remember when we first met? When I still had my memory erased?”

Ichigo swallowed and nodded. The memory sent pangs in both of their hearts.

“The first time...the first time I kissed you, it wasn't me. I don't know why I did it. Possibly Kolora thought it would be amusing to make me do it. But after that...”

The wind whistled around the pair.

“After the first time, I don't think it was Kolora that made me pursue you then. It was more like...like after that time, I needed more. Like a drug.”

Ichigo nodded, still not speaking.

“Even now, you still feel like a drug for me,” he said. “Like you get under my skin in a way I'm not used to. My pulse quickens when you're around. I start to feel different.”

Ichigo looked down. The only noise was the wind.

“Me too,” Ichigo said softly. “I think that's how it is for me too.”

Kish looked across at her, startled.

“I mean, the first times, I only got angry and scared when you chased me. But after a while, it was like a grew used to it. I got numb. Then it started to have an opposite effect on me, especially after you got your memory back.”

A bird cheeped loudly.

“It was like you were an entirely new person—someone that interested me in a strange way. I started becoming attracted, just because of the intrigue, I guess.”

She looked across at him, eyes sad.

“But the more time I spent around you, the more you felt like a drug. It made me feel alive, but only for brief periods. Then I would feel hollow again.”

The bird sang a few more bars, then the rustle of feathers broke the silence as it soared to the sky. Kish watched it go before speaking again.

“What about Masaya?” he said. “That boy you like. How do you feel around him?”

Ichigo brightened.

“When I'm with Masaya, I always feel like smiling,” she said. “When I see him smile, it makes me happy, no matter how badly I'm feeling. Even when I worry about hiding things from him, I feel like I belong.”

Kish smiled slightly.

“That sounds like me and Mairead,” he said. “Ever since we were kids, we always smiled around each other. We might get into minor fights with our other friends, but with each other, it was all smiles and laughs.”

Ichigo smiled too.

“It sounds like you really love her,” she said.

Kish closed his eyes, reliving the memories.

“When I'm with Mairead, all I know is that I love her. With all the fiber of my being, I love her. And when she smiles....”

He opened his eyes again and smiled.

“I want to protect her. No matter what, I want her to always be smiling.”

Ichigo smiled too. She reached across and touched Kish's hand.

“Then you know what you have to do, right?”

Kish blinked, confused.

“You've got to go find her,” Ichigo said. “You've got to tell her that. She'll never realize it if you don't tell her.”

Kish stared at Ichigo, the realization dawning.

“You might think she already understands, but the truth is, she probably just wants you to tell her.”

Ichigo smiled. Kish closed his eyes.

“Thank you Ichigo,” he said. “Thank you for putting it into perspective for me.”

“That's what friends are for, right?”

She held out a hand, pinky outstretched.

“Friends?” she said.

Kish nodded, hooking his pinky with hers.

“Friends,” he said.

He stood up.

“I'm going to find Mairead,” he said.

“Good luck,” Ichigo said.

Kish smiled and flew from the roof. He touched ground and ran down the street.

_ I'm coming, Mairead. _


	33. Listen to Your Heart! - Crisis at Christmas!

_ Kish _

Kish ran down the dark street, ignoring the chill that seeped through his bones. Mairead was close—he could feel it. But she still wouldn't respond to his telepathic messages. What was wrong? Did she still feel badly after seeing him dancing with Ichigo?

Kish pushed the thought aside and kept on running, darting around humans that hurried past him, paying no attention to the boy. And why should they? Leoti's Mist spell hid Kish's Cyniclon features from any normal person who saw him. All the humans saw was a dark haired boy with hazel eyes running down the dark street.

The Cyniclon boy shot another telepathic message out into the darkening winter day. Again, he hit against a mental barrier. What was going on?

A flash of light caught his attention and he slowed to a stop. What was that? Another flash—there, past all the buildings! Something green poked up, a star twinkling at its tip. Was that—it was! Odaiba's giant Christmas tree!

Another flash came from beyond the buildings, purple-black in color. It was immediately followed by a deep watery blue.

Kish's blood ran cold.

He recognized those two colors. And he knew exactly what it meant.

* * *

_ Ichigo _

Ichigo closed her cellphone, frowning.

“That's funny,” she said. “Masaya isn't picking up.”

The pink mew sat on an empty park bench, staring up into the cloudy sky. Masaya should have been there half an hour ago. Strange—Ichigo was early and Masaya was late, like some role switch or something. He wasn't answering his cell phone either.

Ichigo moaned and rested her chin in her hands. She didn't like sitting there by herself; it was unnerving. And she had been all prepared to ask Masaya to that Christmas ball.

The thought drew her back to the memory of Kish teaching her how to dance, then to the conversation they had had on the roof top. She was really glad they had sorted out that messy love thing. Now they both knew what was going on.

She allowed a small smile to grace her features. Kish and Mairead were really in love. It inspired Ichigo a lot in her love life with Masaya. Then a frown replaced the smile. She still hadn't been able to tell Masaya about the whole mew thing. She was still too afraid to trust him with that information—was that bad? Shouldn't she be able to trust Masaya with anything?

Ichigo's phone jingled. The thirteen-year-old snatched it eagerly, hoping it was Masaya. She had only just barely registered that Ryou's name showed up on the caller ID before a knife shot through the air right past her hand, making her drop the phone with a yelp. The mew was on her feet instantly, pendant in hand.

“Who's there?” she shouted.

A short Cyniclon boy appeared, messy gray hair falling over his dark eyes.

“You—you're Yuuto!”

“That's my name. Don't wear it out,” he said.

Ichigo touched her hand gingerly. The knife hadn't even scraped her—thank goodness. The Kyaldians had told her about the poisons that Yuuto dipped his knifes into.

“I wasn't trying to hit you,” Yuuto said. “I was just trying to get your attention.”

“Well you most certainly got it,” Ichigo muttered sarcastically. “What do you want? I'm warning you, I could transform at any time!”

“Yeah, and I can throw a poisoned knife at you. Hm, which one is fatal?” Yuuto said.

Ichigo glared at him. Yuuto blew out in irritation.

“All right, just listen. Ren is going to attack your boyfriend in about five minutes to try and get you out on the streets alone,” he said. “Then he's gonna try to kill you.”

Ichigo felt her blood turn to ice.

“Aoyama-kun...” Then she snapped back to herself. “Why are you telling me this? Is this a trap?”

Yuuto rolled his eyes.

“Yeah sure. I'm telling you in advance so that you can call your friends to help you when Ren specifically told me to try and push you out there alone.”

“But...why? Why are you telling me this?”

“I've got my reasons.”

Yuuto picked up Ichigo's phone and tossed it to her.

“I'd call your friends now,” he said. “Not a good idea to go up against Ren alone.”

As he spoke, Yuuto started hovering into the air.

“Wait!” Ichigo said.

“I'll stall Ren for as long as I can, but I'm not promising you anything.”

Then he was gone. Ichigo didn't waste any time. She flipped her cellphone open and dialed the cafe number.

“Shirogane? I'm going to the Christmas tree. Tell the others.”

She hung up before Ryou could get a word in, transforming as she ran.

* * *

_ Mairead _

Mairead stumbled back, panting. Kolora's barrage of attacks were endless—even Mairead's water attacks were starting to fail against the fire.

“What's the matter, Nymphy? Slowing down?” Kolora smirked.

“Shut up,” Mairead panted.

“Oh, she speaks, does she? I wasn't aware that you could.”

Mairead loosed an arrow from her bow—but she was too slow. Kolora dodged easily.

“Really, Mairead. I was hoping for a better fight from you.”

Mairead didn't waster her breath retorting. She unsheathed her sword and swung it at Kolora's head. Another miss—Kolora was still faster.

“I thought this would be a fun mission,” Kolora sighed. “But it looks like I'll have to forgo my hopes for a fun fight and skip right on to the killing part of the plan.”

Kolora's black fire sword appeared in the banshee's hands.

“You ready to play?” she sneered.

The fiery sword swung at Mairead's head and she barely had the energy to block. The hours of fighting off fire magic was starting to wear on her—if Kolora had tried to use her sword first, Mairead might have had a chance. But this time, Kolora had been smarter, staying just out of range of Mairead's attacks while sending blow after blow of magic attacks down on her.

It only took a few moments of sword fighting for Kolora to disarm Mairead. She flicked the fiery blade up to rest on Mairead's collar bone.

“Heart or neck?” Kolora mused. “Which one will give you more pain?”

Mairead gasped for breath.

“It's no fun just stabbing someone,” Kolora said. “But orders are orders, I suppose.”

Kolora drew back her sword a little, just enough to gain some speed.

“Good bye, Blue Nymph,” Kolora said. “I won't miss you.”

The sword darted forward. Blood spurted into the air.

But not her blood, Mairead realized. The sword hadn't touched her. Then who—

Kish fell to his knees, red blossoming across his shirt.

“NO!” Mairead screamed.

* * *

_ Ichigo _

Ichigo shot down the street as Mew Ichigo, running towards the spot that everyone else was running away from. That generally told her where the enemy was.

The cat mew got a running start, the leaped into the air, landing neatly on top of a building. The sight that met her eyes did nothing to slow her racing heart. Masaya lay on the ground, something red staining his shirt. Ren hovered in the air, twin swords gleaming. Yuuto lingered behind the older yokai, something bordering on regret showing in his eyes. His eyes met with Ichigo's, and she could see his surprise at the fact that she was alone.

“STOP!” Ichigo screamed.

Ren looked up and smiled—it was not a kind smile.

“Well, it appears the heroine has arrived,” he said. “Just in time too. Your boyfriend is only barely alive.”

Ichigo ignored him, leaping down from the building to rush towards Masaya. Ren appeared in front of her, stopping her from rushing to Masaya's side.

“Now, now,” Ren said. “You mustn't be rude and ignore your host.”

“Get out of my way, freaky yokai guy!” Ichigo said.

“Is that all you can come up with?”

The swords sliced towards her from both sides. Ichigo leapt into the air, flipping and landed behind Ren.

“I don't have time for you!” Ichigo shouted.

“But I've got time for you,” Ren said.

Ichigo only barely had time to call up her weapon to block Ren's next attack.

“Ribbon Strawberry Surprise!” she shouted.

Ren vanished and Ichigo's attack shot off into nothing. She whirled and kicked him in the stomach as he reappeared behind her. Shock flared across his face as he stumbled to the ground, clutching his stomach and gasping.

“You really think I didn't expect you to appear behind me?” Ichigo said.

She turned and ran to Masaya—her first mistake.

Ren caught his breath quickly and threw something explosive at her back, sending the pink mew soaring into the air. She landed with a sickening crunch. Instantly, she tried to get up—her second mistake. Pain lanced through her chest and she realized she must have broken a couple of ribs. The pain held her immobile for a few moments—just long enough for Ren to come over and place his sword against her throat.

“Don't make any sudden moves now, kitten,” he hissed.

* * *

_ Kish _

Kish gasped, choking on air. Pain shot through his lungs like fire with every breath he managed to take in.

“Kish! Kish!”

He could hear Mairead's frantic voice and Kolora's snide laughter, but he couldn't see either of them. His vision blurred in and out—blackness hovered on the edges. Something wet and sticky coated his shirt front. But what really occupied his thoughts was the horrible pain in his stomach, like something long had stabbed into it. Oh wait. Something had.

“Kish! Please, don't die! Kish!”

“Well isn't this sweet,” Kolora's voice cooed. “Two lovers, about to die in each others arms. Like Romeo and Juliet.”

Cool hands. A pair of cool, trembling hands had placed themselves on top of Kish's stomach, where the pain was worst.

“Mairead—” Kish choked out. “Mairead.”

“Don't talk. You're going to be okay. Everything is going to be fine.”

Kish swallowed, trying to ignore the pain.

“Mairead—I—love you...”

“Sh...it's okay.”

He could feel wet tears falling onto his face. Her hands pressed harder on his bleeding wound, as though they could stop the gush of blood.

“Not that this isn't sweet and all, but I'll have to make sure both of you actually die,” Kolora said. “Night-night, lovebirds.”

Kish could just make out a flash of purple fire above them—Kolora's sword. As it fell down towards them in slow motion, Kish felt the pain start to fade. Was he...dying? No that wasn't it—the pain was just being washed away! The coolness of Mairead's hands was intensifying like water rushing through him, quelling the aching flame. Just before Kolora's sword struck, Kish found enough energy to thrust his hands above him and shoot a strong wind into Kolora's stomach.

Kolora's shadowy figure fell out of his sight line as his vision cleared.

“Mairead.”

Kish grasped her arm.

“I'm okay,” he gasped. “I think I'm okay.”

Mairead stared down at him.

“You're—you're alive.”

Kish gave her a shaky smile.

“Yeah,” he said. “Not sure...how...but I am very...glad...”

Mairead rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand, then looked up with a grim purpose in her eyes. Her red hair grew longer and turned yellow blond. The cafe uniform she wore grew into a long dark blue dress.

“I'm ready to 'play' again, Kolora,” she said. “This time I won't be so easy on you.”

It was a wonder that Kolora didn't take the hint and run away while she had the chance.

* * *

_ Ichigo _

Pain pain pain pain pain pain pain. Lots of pain. Not to mention the cold metal at neck. She was going to die.

“I hadn't realized it would be this easy to kill you,” Ren said. “But, who am I to complain?”

The sword pressed a little harder on her throat. Ichigo didn't even want to breathe—she was afraid the motion might push Ren into killing her. Fear made her heart skip beat after beat. She was starting to feel lightheaded from a lack of air and an excess of pain.

“Bye, bye, kitty,” Ren said.

The sword drew blood from her throat—she was going to die.

Then suddenly Ren was gone, something blue shooting across her vision and knocking him away from her. The cold metal vanished from her neck. Still, she couldn't risk moving on the chance her ribs would suffer even more damage. She heard the clang of metal against metal—someone was fighting with Ren...someone wearing blue.

“Blue...Knight?” Ichigo murmured. Her voice was so faint that it scared herself.

“Don't talk, idiot,” said a familiar voice.

A shadow fell over her—someone with gray hair.

“Yuuto!”

Ichigo struggled to get up, afraid the yokai boy was going to kill her.

“Idiot! You're going to make yourself worse!” Yuuto said. “You should have brought the others with you, stupid!”

“I called them...” Ichigo whispered feebly.

“And then you didn't wait for them. There was really no point in me warning you, was there?”

Something was getting pushed into her mouth. It felt like a jawbreaker and tasted like ashes. She coughed, trying to spit it out.

“Swallow it!” Yuuto hissed. “Or do you want to die?”

A bright pink arrow shot towards Yuuto. He vanished and the attack exploded next to Ichigo. She swallowed the small jawbreaker in shock. Instantly, she felt a couple of popping pains in her ribs—then the pain faded. Even the cut on her neck had sealed.

“Mew Ichigo!” Mint shouted, running over to her. “Baka! Why did you go off by yourself!”

Ichigo sat up slowly, rubbing her neck gingerly.

“Um, because I'm impulsive?” she suggested, wincing as another rib settled into place.

“What happened to you?” Lettuce asked, eyes wide.

“Ichigo-oneechan was getting attacked by Yuuto nanoda!” Pudding said.

“I was a little too hasty coming out here,” Ichigo said. “But I think I'm okay.”

“There is blood all over the ground, Ichigo,” Mint said.

Oh boy. Mint was going to snap.

“You could have been dead for all we knew! Hasty, you call it? I call it stupid! Are you insane, Ichigo? You could have died! Died! And then where would the rest of us be?”

As the bird mew spoke, she started pulling hard on Ichigo's ears.

“Ow! Mint! Stop pulling, that hurts!”

Mint let go, still hyperventilating.

“I guess you really do care about me,” Ichigo said, touching her aching ears gingerly.

Mint 'humphed' and stuck her nose in the air to avoid looking at Ichigo.

Ichigo looked over to where Ren was fighting Blue Knight. The Blue Knight sliced across Ren's arm and the blood spurted into the air. It splattered across the Blue Knight's cloak as the pair kept fighting. The bright blue eyes glanced over and caught Ichigo's gaze. As though comforted that Ichigo was safe, the Knight vanished, leaving Ren to stand there confused for a moment. Then he turned back to face the mews.

“Well, now that guy's gone, I'll just have to dispose of you girls.”

“Fat chance nanoda!” Pudding said. “Ribbon Pudding Ring Inferno!”

Ren dodged the attack, but Mint reacted faster.

“Ribbon Mint Echo!”

The older yokai had dodged Pudding's attack just to run into Mint's. Before he could recover, Zakuro and Lettuce's combined attack slammed into him, sending him skidding across the ground. Ichigo's bell appeared in her hand and she glared at the yokai boy.

“This is for everything you did that makes me mad!” Ichigo said. “Ribbon Strawberry Surprise!”

Ren was gone before the attack hit—but Ichigo had the immense satisfaction of seeing the frustration on his face. Ichigo glanced up to where Yuuto hovered in the air. Mint pulled her bow back, ready in case the other yokai attacked.

But Yuuto just gave them a funny little wave and vanished.

“What the heck was that for?” Mint said, letting her weapon vanish.

“Something is up with that yokai nanoda!” Pudding said.

Zakuro looked thoughtfully at the place where Yuuto had been, then over to Ichigo, a question in her violet eyes. Ichigo met Zakuro's gaze, then mouthed, 'I'll talk to you later.' Zakuro nodded.

Then the pink mew remembered.

“Aoyama-kun!” she yelled.

She ran over to where Masaya still lay on the ground. Blood stained the front of his shirt.

“No! No, Aoyama-kun, wake up!” Ichigo shouted. “Please! Please be alive!”

He was breathing—but just barely.

“Ichigo!”

Zakuro was at Ichigo's side.

“The blood—it's not his.”

Ichigo whipped to look up at the purple mew.

“It—what?”

Zakuro carefully touched the blood. Sure enough, Ichigo couldn't find a wound where blood would have come.

“Then...then who?” Ichigo said.

Zakuro shook her head.

“I don't know,” she said.

The boy's eyelids flickered. Ichigo remembered suddenly—she was still in her transformed state. He wouldn't recognize her

“I—Ichigo.”

Ichigo let out a gasp. He hadn't—it couldn't be. Had he recognized her?

* * *

_ Kish _

After getting Mairead angry like that, Kolora had been defeated in about ten seconds. Another ten seconds later, the other Kyaldians had arrived.

“Really? I missed all the action?” Orla said, a bit disappointed.

“Action,” Kish breathed. “Is not what I would call it.”

Mairead had managed to heal him, but the scars would probably take a little longer to fade. You don't get stabbed in the stomach and walk away from it, magic or no.

“Kish-oniichan! Are you gonna be okay?” Tanya asked.

“I think so,” Kish said. “It might be a few weeks before I'm in top condition again though.”

“That'll be fun,” Kendra moaned. “More attacks because they're gonna think you're an easy target.”

Kish sent her a lopsided grin.

“Not my fault. Blame Kolora.”

“Oh I will,” Kendra said, cracking her knuckles. “She's very high on my butt kicking list.”

“I didn't know you had a butt kicking list!” said Tanya. “I want one too!”

“It was a metaphor, Tanya,” Bryn said. For some reason, he had decided to tag along while Rikuto and Kokoro had stayed at the cafe.

“Well I don't know anything about astronomy,” Tanya said happily. “Hey, can I have a Doom List for the people I want to rain doom on?”

In a few minutes, everyone was laughing their heads off.

“What?” Tanya said. “What did I say?”

When the group made it back to the cafe, the mews were already there. Except for Ichigo...

“Where did Ichigo go?” Kish asked.

“Ren attacked her boyfriend and she ran off to go save him without us,” Mint said. “We got there just in time.”

“Yeah, but Aoyama-oniichan is still hurt nanoda!” said Pudding. “So Ichigo-oneechan went with him to the hospital nanoda!”

“Aoyama?” Mairead said.

“Yeah,” said Mint, looking at her strangely. “What's wrong with that?”

“Nothing,” Mairead said.

Kish sank heavily into a chair. It still took a lot of energy to breathe correctly.

“What happened, oniichan nanoda?” Pudding asked.

“Kish got himself stabbed in the stomach,” Taruto said.

“What?!” the mews said at once.

“I'm okay,” Kish said. “But it may be a while before I heal completely.”

“You're lucky to be alive,” Zakuro said.

Kish grimaced.

“I am acutely aware of this, Zakuro-san,” he said.

He smiled over at Mairead, who smiled back.

“Well, it looks like that got settled,” Kendra said. “Lovebirds are back to it.”

Mairead and Kish blushed as one.

“Kendra,” Mairead said. “Stop it!”

Kendra grinned.

“I can't help it, you guys are so easy to tease,” she said.

(Author's note: During this time, Masaya is revealing to Ichigo that he always knew she was a mew and all that other cool stuff that happened in the actual episode. Ichigo is going to ask Masaya to the dance and then they're gonna come over to cafe for the ball thingy. Just thought I'd let you know. ^-^)

“Incidentally,” Rikuto said. “That Christmas ball thing is in two and a half hours.”

“Good point,” Kendra said. “Anybody have any idea of when Ichigo will be back?”

“Um, I'm back now.”

Everyone turned to see Ichigo standing in the doorway.

“It's snowing,” she said.

“Awesome!” Tanya said. “I wanna go play in it!”

“Yeah nanoda!”

“No time,” Kendra said. “Ichigo, is Masaya coming?”

Ichigo blushed a little.

“Yeah, he is. And about Aoyama-kun—”

“Talk later,” Kendra said, grabbing Ichigo by the wrist and pulling her towards the back room.

“Hey! Wait, where are we going?”

“Orla, grab Mairead,” Kendra said. “It's time to get these two changed for the dance!”

Orla grinned and started dragging Mairead along with her. Tanya giggled and skipped off to join them.

“What are they doing?” Mint said.

“Those three,” Taruto grumbled. “They did this at the last dance too.”

Kokoro grinned and explained.

“Last time when we were trying to hook up Mairead and Kish, us girls got Mairead all prettied up,” she said. “Looks like Ichigo is going to get the same treatment.”

“Hm, I'd better accompany them,” Mint said, walking back.

“Come on Lettuce, Zakuro, help us out,” Kokoro said.

“I want to help too nanoda!” Pudding said.

In only a few moments, all the girls had vanished into the back room. Bryn sent Kish and Taruto devilish grins.

“What is that for?” Kish asked suspiciously.

“Well we can't let the girls outdo you two,” he said.

“Hey, I am NOT wearing a tux,” Taruto said.

“Just think about Pudding,” Rikuto said, steering a protesting Taruto towards the boy's changing room. “She'll think you look cool.”

“Why should I care about that?” Taruto said.

Bryn dragged Kish to the door.

“We can't have you two looking like kids off the street when I know for a fact that the girls are going to look like princesses,” he said. “Time to turn you frogs into princes.”

“I am not a frog!” Taruto shouted.

* * *

_ Ichigo _

“Oh, wow!”

Ichigo couldn't believe it. She touched her cheek tentatively.

“Is that me?”

“Yep,” Kendra said. “Like it?”

“It's amazing!” Ichigo said. “Thank you!”

“Kendra's secret talent,” Tanya said. “Finding dresses and styles that look super good on people.”

Ichigo's dark magenta dress just barely brushed against the ground, but in a wavy V shape in front to reveal her cute shiny black shoes and pink stockings. The dress had a modest cute top in a heart shape like her battle costume. Long matching gloves reached past her elbows and her pigtails had been curled ever so slightly to give them a wavy look. A huge pink bow tied around her waist and puffed out in the back.

“Look look look nanoda!” Pudding said. “Pudding is pretty too nanoda!”

Ichigo smiled down at the younger girl as she twirled her short yellow skirt around in circles.

“It's good for twirling nanoda!”

Kendra had worked her magic on Pudding as well. The yellow mew's normally braided hair was loose and wavy, just barely touching her shoulders. A pretty yellow headband matched her short yellow dress and she wore a cropped brown jacket over it. Her ballet style shoes matched the jacket.

“This is pretty good,” Mint said. “It's my color.”

The blue mew's dress resembled a feathered ballet dress in a pale powdered blue. Ballet shoes with ties wrapped all the way to her knees and she wore matching feathered gloves. Pretty pale blue ribbons tied around her familiar buns.

“No new hairstyle for you, Mint?” Ichigo teased.

“You still have your pigtails,” Mint retorted.

Orla came into the room, pulling Lettuce with her.

“I promise you, you look amazing,” Orla said. “Just show everybody else and you'll see.”

“Wow, Lettuce!” Ichigo said. “You're beautiful!”

Lettuce blushed. Her normally braided hair had been let loose so that it tumbled down her back in a cascade of green. A pretty pink flower pinned her bangs to the side and her modest pale green dress came all the way to her neck. The supple fabric glittered down to just above her ankles, where a white pleated trim fell the rest of the way to the floor. Darker green bows decorated the front of the dress, matching the ribbons tied around the wrist of her long white gloves.

“I told you,” Orla said. “There's nothing to be embarrassed about.”

Lettuce mumbled a shy thank you. Zakuro, of course, didn't need anyone to tell her how gorgeous she looked: it showed in the way she held herself.

“Oneesama!” Mint said. “You look amazing!”

The older girl wore simple purple dress that touched the ground and opened in the back, tied across her upper back with a crisscross of straps. Her long violet hair was tied into a high ponytail with a glittering ribbon that matched her choker.

Tanya was the next to change, in an outfit identical to Pudding's except her signature pale blue instead of yellow.

“We look like twins, Pudding-chan!” Tanya said happily.

“Yay nanoda!” Pudding said as the pair hugged each other.

Orla wore a short silver dress with an empire waist. She had managed to twist multiple silver ribbons into strands of her hair, making it look as though her hair sparkled with stars.

Kendra herself had dressed in a short purple dress with a daringly low cut and long tie up gloves that matched dark purple lace up boots. When she came into the room, she dragged Mairead along with her. Everyone stopped to look at Mairead.

The red headed girl wore a long sparkling white dress that glimmered like the sunlight across snow. The ribbon that tied around her waist shimmered multicolored the same way the ribbon in her half ponytail did. Long shimmering white gloves completed the image of the snow dress.

Ichigo started clapping and the others followed suit. Mairead blushed.

“You're amazing, Mairead-san!” Ichigo said. “Kish is going to have trouble keeping his eyes off you.”

“Thank you,” Mairead said.

“Speaking of which, it's about that time,” Kendra said. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah!” everyone said at once.

After getting a lot of interest in the cafe ball, Ryou had moved it to a large dance hall, telling the group that the cafe was too small. Ichigo still couldn't believe Ryou owned this huge place.

“It's beautiful here!” Ichigo said.

“Totally,” Kendra said. “Ryou outdid himself.”

“He  _ owns  _ this place?” Orla said, mouth dropping open.

It looked like something from a movie with the grand staircase and sparkling tiles.

“It's even bigger than mine,” Mint said.

“ _ You _ own a dance hall?” Orla said, staring at Mint.

Kendra nudged Ichigo with an elbow.

“Hey, what does your crush look like?” she asked.

Ichigo pointed by way of answer. Masaya had just entered the hall. He looked amazing in that tux. Kendra pushed her forward.

“Have fun,” she said, grinning impishly before walking off with Bryn.

Ichigo took a deep breath and walked out to meet Masaya.

* * *

_ Leoti _

Leoti sent a sidelong glance at Ryou. The pair stood at the top of the second staircase, looking down as the party began.

“Not going to mingle?” Leoti said.

Ryou shook his head.

“Not yet,” he said. “I really don't like these parties anyway.”

Leoti studied her childhood friend. He really had grown taller, more mature looking. The kind of boy many girls would fall for. Especially while wearing that sharp white tux. Of course, Leoti wasn't really attracted to him. The age difference was too large. Okay, so technically she was immortal at the age of thirteen. Had she been in this world the whole time, she would have been twenty years old. Due to the freak time slip between Synoch and Earth, however, she was technically thirty-four years old—over twice Ryou's age. (Author's note: I understand that this is really confusing...I got rather confused myself...)

“So what was your real reason for this party?” Leoti asked.

She looked down at the ball, noting who danced with who: Mairead and Kish, Ichigo and Masaya, Mint and some other guy, Kendra and Bryn, Rikuto and Kokoro. Lettuce, Orla and Zakuro stood off to different sides, watching. Tanya and Pudding were pulling Taruto around in circles together.

“Something strange happened a few nights ago,” Ryou said suddenly.

Leoti glanced at him.

“There was an odd rise in the omega waves,” he continued. “Something we haven't seen in years.”

Omega waves. Extremely powerful waves of an energy source far greater than a normal life force—greater even than Mew Aqua.

“And?” Leoti said.

“It happened again this morning,” Ryou said. “We pinpointed its location to a small coffee shop in Odaiba.”

“Any familiar signals?” Leoti asked.

“Two. Mairead and Masaya.”

Leoti drew in a breath.

“The waves vanished after Mairead's signal parted from Masaya's.”

Leoti swore softly. Ryou flipped open a cell phone to receive a text from Keiichiro. He nodded grimly.

“He says they rose again. From this building.”

Leoti looked down at the happy people below. Her eyes touched on Ichigo, Masaya, Kish and Mairead.

“What are you going to tell the girls?” she asked without looking up.

Ryou sighed.

“Nothing.”

Leoti closed her eyes.

“Let's go down, Ryou,” she said. “And take a closer look at things below.”

As they descended the staircase, Leoti swore mentally.

Why hadn't she seen it before?


	34. Stuck Between - Trapped in a Nightmare—Literally!

_ Ichigo _

“Uwah! A ski trip for two??”

Ichigo stared up at the poster with an almost hungry look. She slammed one hundred yen down on the table with a huge amount of force.

“Um, okay, go ahead,” the booth manager said, looking a bit intimidated.

Ichigo turned the wheel. A tiny ball rolled out, bright yellow in color.

“Congratulations! You've won the special prize!”

_ Yes!! I did it! Aoyama-kun and I can go skiing! _

But that wasn't the case.

“Who would even  _ want  _ a dragon dance mask and costume?” she grumbled.

Masaya tried to hide a smile, but it was no use. His bright laugh sounded across the fair, and soon Ichigo was laughing with him. The couple walked over to a bench and sat down.

“It's so nice today,” Ichigo said. “I'm glad we came to the festival.”

“So am I,” Masaya said.

Ichigo blushed slightly.

“You know, it's funny,” she said. “This all feels a little bit like a dream. Part of me feels like I'm going to wake up back to the time when you didn't know my name.”

“That's not true,” Masaya said, smiling. “I noticed you before you asked me out the first time. The truth is, I've always found you attractive.”

“R-really?” Ichigo stammered.

“Yes. I was always happy when I saw you watching me practice.”

Ichigo knew she was blushing redder than a tomato. A few minutes later, something black and fuzzy poked out of her hair.

“Oh no,” she moaned, trying to cover her ears.

Masaya reached an arm over, pulling the side of his jacket over her head. She felt her cheek press against his chest.

“A-Aoyama-kun!” Ichigo said, flushing even more.

“I told you I'd help hide you, remember?” he said.

Ichigo blinked and looked up at him. His smile met her eyes and she instantly felt better. She closed her eyes, relishing the moment while it lasted.

_ Happy New Year, Aoyama-kun. _

* * *

_ Ichigo, a few hours later _

“I'll talk to you later, Ichigo.”

“Bye Aoyama-kun!”

Ichigo let out a happy sigh. She thought back across the week, thinking about everything good that had happened. She and Kish had sorted out their feelings with each other, Ichigo had managed to save Masaya from Ren, and Masaya had accepted her secret of being a mew. They were still going out and things seemed to get better every day. Not even a sign of Kolora, Ren or Yuuto.

Yuuto.

That boy confused her. He had warned her about Ren's plans, healed her when she was nearly dead and hadn't attacked her when he had had the chance. But on the other hand, he hadn't lifted a finger to help her when Ren had been in the perfect position to kill her. And he had only said that he'd 'had his reasons.' What was up with that yokai boy?

As if he had heard her thoughts, Yuuto suddenly appeared.

“Nya!” Ichigo yelped, nearly dropping her dragon costume. “It's you again!”

“Yeah. It is,” Yuuto said, sounding bored.

“What do you want this time?” Ichigo said. “Are you actually going to attack me for once?”

Yuuto didn't answer. He hovered a few feet into the air and flew lazily off in one direction.

“Hey, come back!”

When looking back, Ichigo couldn't believe how stupid she had been in chasing after him. She wasn't entirely sure why she had done it in the first place. All she knew was that only after running a few feet after him, vines shot out from every side and wrapped around her wrists and ankles.

“Sorry,” Yuuto muttered before dropping a wreath of lilacs around her neck.

The moment the scent registered in her brain, she fell down into the deep black waters of sleep.

* * *

_ Kish _

Ichigo walked into the cafe with a bright smile on her face, holding a bouquet of lilacs as Kish was taking down chairs.

“Hi Ichigo,” Kish said. “You're actually on time.”

“Masaya's influence,” she said, giggling.

Kish frowned. Ichigo had never called her boyfriend by his first name before. She had always called him Aoyama-kun. Kish brushed it aside—it was probably just the result of a good date. Ichigo's mood swings were pretty familiar to him by now.

“Good time?”

“The best!” Ichigo said. “I'd better go change!”

“Hey, you want me to take those for you?” Kish asked, pointing at the lilacs. “I'll put them in a vase or something.”

For a split second, Kish thought he saw a shadow cross Ichigo's face. Something dark and evil sparked in her eyes. Just as quickly the spark was gone and Ichigo was all smiles.

“Sure! Thanks Kish!”

She handed him the flowers and Kish watched her go. Had he imagined that shadow? Or was something really wrong going on here?

* * *

_ Kish _

The day passed by in a blur. Kish could barely remember anything that had happened during the day. All he could think about was the strange that had passed Ichigo's face. The flowers disturbed him too. Had he ever seen flowers like that before? Something did seem familiar, but they were different—the wrong color perhaps?

“Yo, Earth to Kish?” Mint said. “They ordered the pomegranate flavor, not the melon flavor.”

Kish blinked and looked down.

“You're right. Sorry,” he apologized to the customer.

The girl giggled and blushed, telling him it was okay. Kish still wasn't used to the fact that human girls found his illusion appearance attractive.

Ichigo darted around the cafe with the brightest smile Kish had ever seen. Normally, this wouldn't have bothered him, but today...

A few hours later, orangey sunlight poured through the windows, heralding the arrival of closing times. Kish finished putting chairs back on top of the tables. Keiichiro came out of the back room, wheeling one of those pastry cart trays out, filled to bursting with different pastries.

“Oh wow!” said Ichigo. “Everything looks so good!”

“Pudding wants to try one nanoda!”

“Me too!” Tanya said.

“What those for, Akasaka-san?” Mairead asked.

“You've all been doing such a great job lately,” Keiichiro said, smiling. “Ryou and I want to thank you all for your hard work over the holidays.”

“You mean we get to eat all of that?” Orla said.

“Eat whatever you want,” Ryou said. “Think of it as a party.”

“Sweet!” Kendra said, snatching a couple of cream filled muffins.

“Let's eat nanoda!” Pudding said.

Kish glanced up at Ichigo. Well, she was certainly eating the way Ichigo normally did. The Cyniclon teenager decided to push away his nerves and took a piece of strawberry shortcake. It tasted delicious—but did he expect any less from Keiichiro?

It didn't take long for the pastries to disappear, leaving a bunch of extremely full teenagers.

“Ugh,” Mint said. “Ate too much.”

She didn't seem all too upset about it though.

“I'm going to go change,” Lettuce said.

She and Mint stood up to walk into the back room.

“Pudding needs to use the bathroom nanoda,” Pudding said. “Tanya-chan, be my bathroom buddy!”

“Sure!” Tanya said happily. It seemed as though those too could have continued eating long after the food had vanished.

Ryou and Keiichiro had drifted off to the basement long before. Taruto walked off to the boy's changing room, Rikuto trailing behind. Kish felt his gaze being tugged back to the lilacs he had put into a vase. They twinkled slightly—or had it been a trick of the light? Moments after he registered this, heard Pudding and Tanya's mingled screams cut off abruptly only seconds after they had begun.

Kish shot to his feet just as he heard Mint and Lettuce let out startled yelps. Those too were cut off as quickly as they had begun. As he turned, trying to decide which ones to go after, he heard Taruto and Rikuto yell before they both went silent.

“What's going on?” Orla said, a hand touching her Kyalda Key and a knife in the other hand.

“Good question,” Bryn said, stepping closer to Kendra.

“Zakuro, Orla, to the girl's changing room!” Kish said. “Kokoro, Kendra, and Ichigo to the bathrooms and Bryn and I will go to the boy's changing room!”

A strange giggle answered him, something he had never heard before. He turned slowly, looking directly at Ichigo.

“Why bother?” Ichigo said, giving a smirk. “The rest of you will be joining the others shortly.”

The smirk didn't fit on Ichigo's face—it was too sinister.

“Who are you?” Kish said. “Where's Ichigo?”

“Ichigo? Don't worry, she's just asleep, dreaming soundly.”

The false Ichigo stood up, holding her hands out in front of her. The lilacs flew from the vase and swirled into a circle before her, turning into a wreath.

“However, the rest of you are about to be living her nightmare.”

The cafe doors flew open as though a wind had thrown them apart. Kish saw a field of lilacs outside.

_ But lilacs grow on bushes,  _ he thought, rather unhelpfully.

That was the only thing he had time for before some magic drew him out of the cafe, falling, falling, falling into another world.

* * *

The first thing Kish felt was soft grass tickling his arms. The smell of lilacs wafted past him, making him feel drowsy and weak. He shook it off, bracing against the scent as he sat up. All he saw for miles on end was the field of ground-growing lilacs. Why were they growing like grass? Lilacs were bush flowers.

The scent changed ever so slightly, a mingled scent of lilacs and—Kish frowned, inhaling deeply. Then froze. It was the scent of lilacs and blood.

As if in response, the purple of the flowers changed in a wave of color, red spilling across the leaves. Kish was standing in a field of bloody flowers. The sight clicked. He had seen these flowers before—a long time ago, when Taruto and Tanya transformed for the first time. He had been trapped in that black fire whirlwind and had caught a glimpse of this place before he escaped.

“Ouch nanoda.”

Kish turned. Pudding, Tanya, Rikuto, Taruto—everyone that had been in the cafe was here in the field of red flowers.

“That was no fun nanoda,” Pudding said, pouting.

“Where are we?” Kendra asked.

“Good question,” Kish said.

_ “Kish! Kish, can you hear me?” _

Leoti's voice pushed its way into his mind.

_ “Leoti!”  _ Kish thought back.  _ “Do you know where we are?” _

_ “Unfortunately, yes,”  _ Leoti said.  _ “You're in a part of  _ Between. _ ” _

_ “Between?” _

_ “Another dimension—the closest one to our own. Humans and Cyniclons go there in spirit during dreams and its the ancestral home of spirits.” _

Kish relayed the information to his friends.

“So we're dreaming?” Orla asked.

_ “I wish. There are four countries in  _ Between _ : The Divine Realms where the spirits live, the Labyrinth, the place people go in their dreams, the Mountain Reaches, where the Fayrie creatures live and the Blood Field, where banshees and dark spirits live.” _

_ “Let me guess: we're in the Blood Field.” _

_ “Correct.” _

Kish fought the urge to scream. Why did they always have to go to the worst place possible? Really! (Author's note: I'll tell you why Kish: it makes a more interesting story. ^-^)

“So if that thing that sent us here wasn't Ichigo...” Orla said. “Where is she?”

The question seemed to be worse than the surroundings. And unfortunately, the answer came from someone Kish wished he never had to have met.

“Kitty-cat is asleep. You kids are all stuck in her nightmares.”

Kolora hovered overhead, smirking.

“Scram!” Orla said.

“We're in bad enough trouble without you hanging around,” Mint said.

“How did you get in here anyway?” Tanya said.

“I'm half banshee,” Kolora said, baring a fang in a grin. “I can pop in and out of this place without so much as a blink.”

As if to prove her point, she vanished. Kish still heard her voice even after she was gone.

“Have fun, Kyaldians. You won't be waking up from this nightmare ever again. But don't be too sad—you're not alone.”

Then even her voice vanished.

“What did she mean by that?” Lettuce said. “You're not alone?”

“Who cares?” Mint said. “Let's just get out of here.”

“Can we?” Kish said.

He directed the question at Leoti in his mind as well as with his voice.

_ “There are ways, but each one is more dangerous and difficult than the next.” _

“What's the easiest way?”

_ “Time slips and vortex rifts. They're not always available, though.” _

“Can you find out if they are?”

_ “It'll take a while.” _

“Take however long you have to. We'll survive for a little while.”

_ “Just hang in there for a while.” _

The connection broke.

“We're going to have to hang out here while Leoti looks for a way out,” Kish said. “In the meantime, we should transform and spread out. Being in a banshee nest unprepared doesn't appeal to me in the slightest.”

“Agreed,” Kendra said.

The group transformed and started moving out in groups. Kish moved slowly in one direction—not really sure if if was north or south. It was impossible to tell with the black sky stretching out overhead. Nothing moved except for the red lilacs he brushed against in his wake. Did anything actually live here?

As if in response, something black shot down from the sky and crashed into him, rolling him across the flowers. He caught the flash of shiny black hooves above his head. Kish rolled out of the way just as a pair of blood stained hooves crashed down on the earth.

Kish flipped onto his feet, pumping his wings to get airborne.

“Over here!” he shouted to the others. “There's some sort of creature!”

Kish circled above, trying to figure out what it was. It resembled a horse with leathery bat wings and matted black fur that appeared to be stained with blood. Some of the fur had rubbed off, revealing dull white bones underneath the skin. Eyeless sockets roved the plain, searching for its lost prey as gleaming white fangs curved down its lips. Instead of a mane and tail it had long deadly black spikes.

“What is that?” Mint said, wrinkling her nose.

Kish started—he hadn't noticed her flying over to him.

“No idea—but it looks dangerous.”

The creature looked up to find their voices, locking its empty eye sockets on them. It let out a hawk-like screech and shot into the air after them. The pair scattered.

“Ribbon Mint Echo!”

Mint's pink bolt hit the creature squarely in the chest. The creature didn't even flinch, using its wings to knock the blue mew out of the sky. Kendra shot into the air and caught her before she crashed.

“Ribbon Zakuro Spear!”

The purple mew's attack wrapped around the creature's leg and she pulled it to the ground. It crashed with a sickening thud, struggling back to its feet almost instantly.

“Ribbon Pudding Ring Inferno!”

“Ribbon Crystal Mimic!”

“Ribbon Lettuce Rush!”

The combined attack trapped the creature in blue and yellow pudding, leaving only its head outside to struggle and screech.

“Ribbon Moon Dance!”

“Ribbon Shadow Javelin!”

“Ribbon Wind Storm!”

“Ribbon Love Water!”

The creature screeched in fury, falling back from the strength of the attack. It broke free, taking to the air and zooming away—probably to find easier prey. Kish landed, panting.

“Well that was interesting,” he said. “Is everybody okay?”

Everyone mumbled assent—except for Orla. The wraith girl stood, staring at something in the distance.

“Orla? Are you okay?” Mairead asked.

Orla pointed a shaky finger at something lying among the flowers.

“Kish...” she said. “That's what Kolora meant—about before.”

Kish followed her gaze—and nearly fainted. Lying among the bloody flowers was his mother.

* * *

_ Kelda _

_ My head hurts. Why are my ears buzzing? Ugh...what hit me? _

The Cyniclon opened sky blue eyes, wincing at the throb in her head. What happened? Where was she? Why was the sky black?

Red wavered on the edges of her vision.  _ Think, Kelda. _ What had just happened?

Fire. The house—on fire. And then it turned black and shot towards...

“Kish!”

Kelda shot upright, immediately regretting it. The world lurched around her and her stomach heaved. She rolled over and emptied the contents of her stomach.

“Augh nanoda!”

Someone moved out of the way, narrowly missing being vomited on. People surrounded her and she didn't have the strength to call on her transformation. She barely had enough strength to lift one hand for defense. But no attack came.

“...Mom?” came the tentative voice.

That voice—she knew it.

“Kish!”

Her vision cleared in an instant and her strength came back in a rush. She pounced on her son, squeezing him in a suffocating hug.

“Mom! Ouch—you're suffocating me!”

“Kish, what happened! The house—the house was on fire and the black flames almost got you but they got me instead—and what are you doing here? You have wings—you transformed—oh my goodness you look like your father—”

Kish wriggled out of the hug, gasping for breath. Someone giggled.

“Definitely Kelda,” Mairead said.

“Mairead, you're here too?” Kelda said.

She squinted, glancing at each person in turn. A girl with silver eyes—Orla, Hailie's daughter—Taruto and Tanya, Kendra, and four girls she didn't recognize.

“What's going on?” she said, disoriented. “How much have I missed?”

“A lot!” said Tanya. “These are our new friends Lettuce-oneechan, Mint-oneechan, Zakuro-oneesama and Pudding-chan!”

Kelda sank into a sitting position.

“Ugh. I feel like crap.”

“Mom!” Kish said, reddening.

Kendra tried to hold in a laugh and it came out as a snort. A new voice wafted over their heads.

“Excuse me, but I appear to be lost.”

It was a man's voice with a sort of drawling tone. Kish whipped around.

“Dad!”

The man blinked golden eyes, messy brown hair flopping over his face.

“Kish! Kelda!”

He strode forward and squeezed Kish in another suffocating hug.

“What are you doing here?” Fen said.

“I could ask you that too,” Kelda said, grinning. “What, no hug for me?”

“I've got better for you,”

Fen strode over to his wife and kissed her gently on the lips.

“Hm, not bad,” Kelda said after they broke apart. “You've gotten a bit rusty though after the years you've been gone.”

“Mom, dad,” Kish groaned. “You're embarrassing me!”

“Your parents act as though they're still teenagers,” Mint observed dryly.

Kish grimaced. The others laughed—except for Orla. She was staring into the distance.

“Oh,” she breathed. “Mom.”

Hailie drifted across the red flowers to her daughter and hugged her tightly.

“It's been a while,” she murmured. “I have missed you.”

“You're alive,” Orla said through tears. “You're really, really, really alive.”

The pair broke apart and Hailie smiled over at Kelda and Fen.

“I've missed you two as well,” she said. “It's been too long.”

“Tell me about it,” Kelda said. “You had to go and get yourself sucked into a Fire Vortex, didn't you? It gave Kolora too many ideas.”

“This just got a lot more interesting,” Kendra said.

“You're telling me!” said Tanya.

“Wonderful,” Taruto grumbled.

“So, the Blood Field,” Kelda said, taking a look around. “How long was I out?”

“You'd better bring us up to speed,” Fen said. “I have a feeling we were asleep for a while.”

Kish took a deep breath. This could take a while.

* * *

It was a wonder that the creatures left them alone long enough to finish explaining things to their parents. However, one thing Kish had learned was that his luck never lasted in these places.

He saw someone walking toward them and shot to his feet.

“What's up?” Kelda asked, standing.

“Someone's coming,” Kish said.

“Hm. Let's see if I can still transform,” Kelda said. “What about you Fen, Hailie?”

“I've still got my Eversphere,” Fen said.

Hailie nodded.

“All right then,” Kelda said. “Kyalda Light!”

“Kyalda Twister!”

“Kyalda Night!”

“Metamorphoses!”

Kish tightened his grip on his sais. Whatever that thing was it couldn't be good. The creature surprised him by calling out in Ichigo's voice.

“Hey, watch where you're pointing those!”

Kish lowered his sais.

“Ichigo! You're here too!”

“Yeah,” Ichigo said. “Crazy kirema anima lured me into a trap. Sorry I didn't get here in time.”

“It's okay,” Kish said. “Are you all right?”

“Fine,” Ichigo said. “I ran into some creepy horse-bat thing a while ago, but I managed to get rid of it.”

She looked over at Fen, Kelda and Hailie.

“Um, new friends?” she said.

“My parents and Orla's mom,” Kish said.

“Yo,” Kelda said. “I'm Kelda”

“Fen,” Kish's dad said, winking.

Hailie nodded by way of greeting.

“Cool. Nice to meet you,” Ichigo said, bowing. “I'm Ichigo.”

“We heard about you,” Kelda said. “Kish told us.”

Kish blinked. Something was wrong here. He couldn't quite place it. It nagged at the back of his mind, like he was forgetting something. Something Kolora had said...

_ “Kitty-cat is asleep. You kids are all stuck in her nightmares.” _

Wait. If Ichigo was asleep and her dreams were the transportation into the Blood Field...

Kish jerked up his sais and shot a blast of wind at the thing that claimed to be Ichigo, sending her reeling back.

“Kish!” Kelda said, wide-eyed. “What's gotten into you?”

“What's your problem nanoda?” Pudding said.

“Ichigo-san, are you all right?” Lettuce asked, walking over her.

“Don't get close!” Kish shouted. “It's not Ichigo!”

The words were barely out of his mouth when the false Ichigo leapt up and grabbed Lettuce by the wrist, twisting her arm behind her back. The green mew yelped in pain.

“Took you long enough to figure out,” the fake Ichigo said.

She tossed lettuce to the ground, placing a foot on the green mew's back to keep her from getting up.

“There's only one way this is going to work,” the fake Ichigo said. “I kill you, and you die. It's an easy enough order for you to understand.”

“Not a chance,” Kish said.

“We outnumber you,” Mint said.

“What the heck are you?” Kendra said. “How do you make yourself look like Ichigo?”

“A yokai,” Hailie said suddenly. “It's a baby yokai.”

“A baby?” said Mint, wrinkling her nose.

“That's right!” Kelda said. “Baby demons can shapeshift!”

“Shapeshift nanoda?” Pudding said.

The yokai Ichigo laughed—a harsh, grating sound.

“Just as a reminder,” she said, baring a fang. “While you discuss this, your friend is getting suffocated.”

Lettuce's eyes were starting to bulge slightly and her face was whiter than a sheet of paper. yokai Ichigo pushed her foot harder on the girl's back, squeezing yet another squib of air from the green mew's lungs.

“Leave her alone!” Mint said.

Kish called the wind to him, swirling at the tips of his sais before letting it blast full force into the yokai girl's chest. She stumbled back, caught off guard. Zakuro shot forward, grabbing Lettuce and pulling her back to safety. Lettuce gasped for breath.

“Lettuce-oneechan, are you okay nanoda?” Pudding asked.

Lettuce nodded, not yet able to speak.

“You're going to get it now,” Mint said angrily to yokai Ichigo. “Ribbon Mint Echo!”

The yokai dodged the blow easily.

“Ribbon Zakuro Spear!” Zakuro shouted.

Again, the attack missed.

“Ribbon Pudding Ring Inferno!”

The attack went wide, not even forcing the yokai to dodge. She laughed again.

“Is that the best you can dish out?” she said. “I'll show you a  _ real  _ attack!”

The yokai held up her palm, revealing a power pendant.

“Careful! They can copy their host's abilities as well!” Hailie said.

“Mew Mew Ichigo Metamorphoses!” yokai Ichigo said.

Watching in utter surprise, Kish watched the yokai creature transform into a perfect copy of Mew Ichigo.

“Nightmare Bell,” she said softly. “Ribbon Nightmare Check.”

The attack surged towards the group.

“SCATTER!” Kish shouted.

Tanya was just a second too slow. The red and black version of Ichigo's attack clipped the Cyniclon girl's heel and she spun to the ground.

“Tanya-chan nanoda!” Pudding shouted.

Tanya struggled to her feet.

“I'm okay!” she said.

But that was before the second blast hit her smack in the stomach. She collapsed to the ground, unmoving.

“Tanya!” Taruto shouted.

He zoomed down to his sister, shaking her shoulders.

“Tanya! Wake up! Idiot, talk to me!”

The girl's eyes flew open suddenly, wide and fearful.

“No!” she screamed, throwing her hands up in front of her. “No, stop it!”

“Stop what?” Taruto said.

“Eek!”

Tanya smacked her brother upside the head with her baton, sending him into immediate unconsciousness.

“Tanya-chan nanoda!!”

Pudding ran forward.

“What's wrong nanoda? Why did you hit Taru-Taru nanoda?”

“Stay away from me!” Tanya screamed. “Don't hurt me!”

Pudding blinked.

“I would never hurt you nanoda,” she said. “What's wrong?”

Tanya hurled her baton at the yellow mew. Only thanks to Zakuro was Pudding spared from the strike.

“There's something in that attack,” the purple mew said. “It creates some sort of living nightmare that makes Tanya believe we're enemies.”

“Smart one, aren't you?” yokai Ichigo said, blasting another strike into Zakuro's back.

“Oneesama!” Mint said.

Orla grabbed her wrist.

“Stay back!” she said. “You don't know what she'll do!”

“Oneesama!” Mint yelled.

The purple mew didn't wake as suddenly as Tanya had. At first she started to tremble uncontrollably, digging her nails into the ground. She sat up slowly, shivering. Tears started to roll down her face in uncontrollable waterfalls.

“No,” she whispered. “No, no, no.”

Then a flash of anger crossed her tear-stained face and she turned on the person closest to her—Pudding.

“Ribbon Zakuro Spear!”

The attack smacked into Pudding, sending her flying into Tanya's range where she was it once more and sent rolling across the ground.

“Pudding!” Orla shouted.

Kendra zoomed down to Zakuro and grabbed her arms, pinning them to her sides.

“Get a hold of yourself!” Kendra said. “Wake up, it's just a dream!”

The tears continued to rain from the purple mew's eyes as she struggling to break free from Kendra's grip.

“What kind of nightmare are they having?” Kish said.

“Something that a glass of warm milk won't help,” Kelda said. “We've got to figure something out.”

“I'm thinking,” Kish said.

“Me too,” said Fen.

“Don't hurt yourself, Fen,” Kelda said.

“Hey! Be nice to me, sweetheart.”

“Sorry. I tease the people I love the most.”

“Mom! Dad!” Kish groaned. “Not now!”

Orla shot down at the yokai Ichigo from behind.

“Ribbon—” she started.

yokai Ichigo whirled and elbowed Orla in the stomach, sending her reeling.

“Orla!”

Hailie shot over to catch her daughter, dodging the yokai's attacks. Kish sent a wave of wind to help them. Kendra got kicked by Zakuro and sent flying across the field by a strike from Zakuro's whip. Mint got too close and was also victimized by Zakuro's nightmare-induced rage. Tanya still huddled on the ground trembling and shooting at anything that got too close—even Taruto and Pudding were still unconscious.

_ Think, Kish, think! _

There had to be a way out—there was always a way out! He just had to think... Mairead shot to his side suddenly, knocking him to the ground. A wave of yokai Ichigo energy shot over their heads.

“Thanks,” Kish said.

“No time for that!” Mairead said. “You have a plan?”

“I'm trying—I really am!”

“Try harder,” Mairead said, unsheathing her sword. “I'll try to distract yokai Ichigo for a few minutes.”

“Watch out for the attack,” Kish warned.

“Right.”

she darted behind the yokai mew and tried to get in at her head. Kish pushed his brain harder. He didn't have much to work with: an endless field of flowers, few exits out of the dimension, no contact with the outside until Leoti finished her scan, and just his parents, Hailie and Lettuce were still up to fighting.

The beginnings of a plan started to form in his head. 

“Mom! Do demons have any weak points?”

Kelda narrowed her eyes in thought, but Hailie answered.

“Baby demons have a spot where the shape they have taken is anchored,” she said.

“Right,” Kelda said. “Usually between the collarbone, but it can vary.”

“Any idea about this one?”

Kelda and Hailie looked at each other. Kish knew that look—they had no idea. Fen decided to jump in at this point.

“Power pendant,” he said. “That's how she's holding the Mew Ichigo form together.”

Kelda snapped her fingers.

“That's it!” she said. “Fen, you surprise me!”

“Hey, even I can have brainwaves occasionally!”

Kish ignored this exchange. He had a plan. It was crazy, insane—maybe even suicidal. There was hardly any chance of it working. But it was all he had.

“Mom, dad!” he said. “I think I have a plan—but you're not going to like it.”

It took a total of two minutes to explain his idea to the few that were left. Kelda instantly protested.

“No!” she said. “I won't let you do it, Kish!”

“Absolutely not,” Fen said. “There has to be another way.”

“Mom, dad, this is all I have. If anyone else can come up with something in the next five seconds, let me know.”

A short and awkward silence. Kelda pulled her son into a hug.

“You might not come out of this unharmed,” she said.

Kish gave a weak grin.

“Trust me, since you vanished, I've gotten harmed more times than I can count. I think I can handle it.”

“It's the only option,” Hailie said. “I don't like it but...”

“I'll do it,” Lettuce said. “Just please be careful, Kish-san.”

Kish nodded.

“Not sure if I can promise that...but here goes!”

Kish shot towards the place where Mairead struggled with yokai Ichigo. He summoned a wind to his fingers and sent a light breeze into yokai Ichigo's face. She didn't even respond, using a blast of Nightmare Check to send Mairead to tremble on the ground. Kish's heart told him to run to Mairead's side—but that would mean they all died. He had to keep to the plan!

He sent a stronger breeze into the yokai's face—she looked up and smirked.

“Want some more, boy?” she said. “I've got plenty of it right here.”

“Do your worst,” Kish said.

“Thanks—I'm not often offered to do that.”

Her bell glowed and grew wings—perfect.

“Ribbon,” she said. “Nightmare Surprise.”

Kish dodged the blast and started counting seconds.

_ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8— _

Another blast which Kish dodged. He counted again. Eight seconds and another blast.

_ Perfect! _

Kish shot forward, sais pointing in as though to stab her in the chest. She hooked his sai into her bell and effectively disarmed him. She pushed the bell towards his face.

“Gonna surrender, or should I blast you?” she said, smiling way too happily.

“How about neither?” Kish said.

He ducked under her and shot around to the back, hitting her in the back. yokai Ichigo stumbled forward, nearly losing her grip on her weapon. While she wasn't looking, Kish caught Lettuce's eye.

_ “You've got eight seconds!”  _ he thought at her.

She nodded and positioned herself behind him—as he fell, she should theoretically have a clear shot—it was the him getting hit part that would be tricky. 

yokai Ichigo recovered quickly and whirled to face him, jabbing the bell in his face again.

“Try that move again,” she said. “I dare you.”

This was the tricky part of the operation. He ducked down, as though trying to do what he had done before. yokai Ichigo shot out a foot and tripped him. He tumbled head over heels for a minute before coming to a stop on his back.

“Sweet dreams,” yokai Ichigo said. “Or more likely, awful nightmares.”

The magic hit him hard in the head and he blacked out for a split second. He woke up in seconds, heart suddenly racing and cold sweat running across his face. Something was here—something wanted to kill him.

The landscape had changed: he sat at the edge of a black ocean on blood red sand. It was impossible to tell where the ocean ended and the sky began, both were so black. Kish felt he heart skip a beat as the water started to churn. A Kraken burst free from the surf, shooting a long tentacle towards him.

Out of instinct, he summoned a wind to protect him—but he managed to keep control.

_ Just a dream,  _ he thought.  _ It's just a dream. Keep calm. _

The tentacle wrapped around his leg and dragged him under the black waves. He couldn't breathe! He was going to drown.

_ Dream!  _ He shouted at himself.  _ It's a dream, dream, dream, dream, dream!! _

Kish forced himself to draw in a breath—no ocean water filled his lungs.

_ I want to wake up  _ NOW _! _

The world around him started to blur and twist, breaking up into tiny pieces. The Kraken's tentacle vanished and Kish felt solid ground beneath him once more.

“I beat it,” he murmured. “Beat the nightmare.”

A few droplets of water fell onto his face as Lettuce's attack finished. yokai Ichigo's weapon clattered to the ground—he had managed to wake up just in time! Kish snatched the bell and shot into the air. yokai Ichigo shrieked in anger, focusing on Kish—just as he had anticipated. His father shot ropes of wind at the demons back, wrapping her tightly in a wind cage.

Kelda surged forward, calling up her weapon—a long deadly white scythe. She brought it down hard toward the yokai's collarbone and the tip hit the power pendant dead on before yokai Ichigo even had time to anticipate.

A terrifying shriek cut across the field. Slowly, the form of Ichigo started to melt away. The shriek came again, emanating from the shadows that replaced Ichigo's form.

Hailie stepped forward, arms raised and words forming on her lips in a silent spell. The shadows shrieked once more—then collapsed in on themselves.

Zakuro started to calm down. Tanya blinked and looked around in confusion. Kish groaned, drifting down the ground. The bell had vanished into shadows the same as yokai Ichigo.

“Kish, are you all right?” Kelda asked.

“I'm okay,” he said. “It worked—that's what's important.”

“I can't be certain how long my spell will keep it away,” Hailie said. “My powers are...weakened in the Blood Field.”

“I hope Leoti finds us a way out,” Kish grumbled. “Before the yokai comes back.”

As if on cue, Leoti's voice burst into Kish's head.

_ “Kish! I found you a way out—one that won't send you into the netherworld or tear you into pieces!” _

“Oh. Lovely.”

_ “Listen, get ready. The opening is coming in just a second!” _

Kish struggled to his feet.

“Everybody that's awake, grab somebody that's unconscious,” he said. “We've got our ticket out of here.”

Only moments later, a glowing hole started to grow in the sky—a lot like a giant eye lid peeling apart.

“Go!” Kish shouted.

They all shot through the opening. Kish stumbled across the floor of Ryou's lab. Ichigo sat on the ground rubbing her eyes sleepily.

“I had an awful dream,” she said. “There was some yokai version of me and It nearly killed everyone—”

She looked up.

“Oh, why is everyone transformed? Hey, I saw you three in my dream!”

She pointed a finger at Kelda, Fen and Hailie.

“Am I still dreaming?” she said.

Kish couldn't help it—between relief, exhaustion and Ichigo, he started laughing. He couldn't stop, no matter how hard he tried. Soon everyone started laughing with him: except Ichigo, who still looked around confused.

“What? What's so funny? What happened? Wait a minute—was my dream real?”

“I'll tell you about it—once I get my breath back,” Kish said, still laughing his head off.


	35. Moon and Tides

Orla would never forget the look on her father's face when he saw her mother. The mixture of shock, relief and just plain happiness was a look she hadn't seen often in her father—she rather liked it better than his normal silent and overprotective personality.

She savored the images. Her mother was alive—after Orla had thought her to be dead for over three years. Then she turned her thoughts to the night around her.

It had been difficult to find a nice clearing surrounded by trees in Tokyo. She'd had to fly for miles before she had found a suitable spot for her new moon dance. Orla stretched her legs out. Only the stars lit the otherwise dark clearing. Shadows hovered in every niche and cranny—just the way Orla liked it. Of course, moonlight was always preferable, but starlight alone was just perfect for her dance.

As a half-wraith, Orla was usually weakened during new moon phases. In order to remedy that, her mother had taught her a special dance to be performed at the night's peak. The magic of the wraith dance rejuvenated Orla and kept her going strong until she could soak in the next full moon.

She stepped in to the center of the clearing.

_ Starlight and shadows, check,  _ she thought.  _ Absence of light pollution, check. Silence, check. Okay, let's do this. _

Orla raised her hands slowly above her head. She pointed one foot forward and stepped lightly to the right. Her arms snapped to chest level, then pulled in towards herself to move into a tight spin. She broke from the spin, leapt forward and touched the ground before raising her arms towards the black moon again.

Energy pulsed through her veins. Silver magic sparked along the edges of her vision. The silver light solidified and swirled around her in a magical wind. Orla continued to dip and glide across the clearing, turning spin after spin and landing jump after jump. Her head started to pound with excess magic. It shot through her like hot irons as her weakened magical supplies suddenly expanded. It is not a pleasant experience, but Orla managed to keep dancing.

She leapt forward, gliding through a swift series of ballet-like spins then came to a halt in the finishing pose—when she saw something moving in the shadows.

Her concentration wavered and she wobbled, falling out of her curtsy pose. Almost instantly, she shot to her feet, head buzzing with magic. Her fingers itched. Magic wanted to be let out—so badly that her entire body trembled.

“Who's there?” Orla said.

Nothing. Silver fire sparked to her fingertips with absolutely no effort. She flicked the tiny flame into the bushes, where it hovered like a lantern. Directing it with her fingers, she moved the silver fire around to illuminate every inch of the surrounding bushes. Suddenly, it stopped, revealing a small shadowed figure in the trees.

“Come out here before I send my fire to burn your behind,” Orla said. “I will do it.”

To make her point, she directed the fire towards the figure.

“Okay, okay, I'm coming out!”

He stepped into view.

“Yuuto!” Orla said. “What are you doing here?”

“Trying not to get burned,” Yuuto said, looking apprehensively at the tiny silver flame. Orla made it shoot closer to him.

“Whoa!” Yuuto said, taking a step back.

“So what's your stupid plan this time? Wait for me to be alone so then you can attack me? Listen pal, my mother and father are both linked to me right now. They can be here in a split second.”

“I'm not here to attack you, idiot,” Yuuto scowled.

“Right,” Orla said.

“Just put that thing away! It's ruining my night vision!”

Orla drew the fire back to her fingers, but she didn't extinguish it.

“What do you want?” she said.

“I'm here to tell you that Ren is placing a dangerous chemical into Tokyo Harbor,” Yuuto said. “Destroys the whole fish population within a 300 mile radius. Once the fish are gone, a huge food and water source is gone and everybody in Tokyo suffers.”

“And?” Orla said.

Yuuto sighed.

“Ever heard of Iron Orbanate?” he said.

The cold touch of fear spread through Orla's veins. Iron Orbanate was a normally harmless powder that looked like pencil shavings. But when put in water, it created a strong poison that could seep through the water for hundreds of miles, killing everything in its wake. That wasn't even taking into account the gas it created during reaction, which could spread across entire countries and caused almost extreme sickness to those who inhaled it. Spirits and half-spirits—like Orla and her mother—were even worse off. Because the powder was a kind of iron, the metal that all spirit creatures hated, the gas completely destroyed the magical system and eventually killed the spirit from the inside.

“Iron Orbanate was destroyed after the War of the Void,” Orla said.

“That's what you think. But the mines are still there in Between. It's simple enough for a yokai to get his hands on it.”

Orla considered this for a moment.

“Why are you even telling me this? How do I know this isn't a trap?”

“You don't,” Yuuto said. “As for why I'm telling you this, I don't like what Deep Blue's doing anymore. This is the only way I can contradict him.”

Orla glared at the young yokai for a moment.

“Why should I trust you for even a second?” she said.

Yuuto shrugged.

“I'm supposed to tell you why? I don't have any proof, if that's what you mean.”

He paused, brow furrowing.

“D'Arvit,” he swore. “I have to go.”

Before Orla could say a word, the yokai vanished into the shadows.

* * *

By the time Orla got back to Leoti's shop, the sun was peaking up over the buildings of Tokyo. Orla slipped inside.

“No one's awake yet,” she muttered. “It figures. Right when I have to tell them something important.”

However, she was proven wrong by a light shining in a corner. Tanya sat huddled behind the counter, staring into the biggest, dustiest book Orla had ever seen.

“What are you doing?”

“Eep!!”

Tanya leapt to her feet, sending the book tumbling to the floor. Dust rose into the air and both girls sneezed a couple times.

“Orla-oneechan!! You scared me!” Tanya said, pouting.

“Be more attentive to your surroundings then,” Orla said. “What are you doing? It's not like you to be reading. Especially something that big, with small print and no pictures.”

“Um....I was...uh...looking for stuff about Crystalline Otters!! You know, the animal that I'm merged with? I wanted to know more about it!”

“Uh huh,” Orla said, unconvinced.

She picked up the book before Tanya could shove it under the counter.

“Being a Historie of Daemons and Other Beestes of the Night,” she read out loud. “I don't think there's much about Crystalline Otters in here.”

Tanya snatched the book back.

“So I'm looking up information about our enemies. Is that bad?”

“I can't imagine you being the one to do that. That seems more like something Kish or Kendra would do.”

“Well they haven't, so I decided to do it!”

Orla raised an eyebrow.

“You'd be more likely to pester Leoti about it if you really wanted to know about it.”

“Oh look at the time!!” Tanya said. “I need to go finish that book report for school. Bye!”

She zoomed off to her room. Orla rolled her eyes and made a mental note to look at that book more thoroughly later. There was no point in staying here while everyone was asleep. On the other hand, she doubted anyone would be at Cafe Mew Mew this early either.

“Might as well try,” she muttered, stepping into the air.

She stepped out inside of Cafe Mew Mew. At first she thought it was empty, but then she heard the soft thump of someone jumping up in surprise.

“Orla-san? Why are you here so early?”

Orla turned. Lettuce had been sitting at the table behind her, books spread out across the surface.

“I could ask you the same thing,” said Orla. “What's with all the books?”

Lettuce blushed a little bit.

“Homework, mostly,” she said. “Some extra credit assignments. But I also found some books at the library about spirits and demons and I wanted to see if I could glean any information from them that might be at least partially true.”

Just like Lettuce.

“So why here?”

“It's quiet,” Lettuce said. “My little brother is always up early and making noise with his experiments.”

“Oh. Is Ryou awake yet?”

“I don't think so,” Lettuce said. “Akasaka-san is, though. He let me in.”

“Dang.”

Orla walked over and glanced down at some of the books Lettuce had stacked there.

“Fairies and Where to Find Them, Demons in History, Witchcraft and Wizardry Across the Ages, Secret Cults From Druids to Wicca...wow. You've got pretty much everything.”

Lettuce blushed a little.

“I've been meaning to ask Leoti if I could take a look at her book collection. There must be something in there that could be helpful.”

Orla remembered the book Tanya had been reading.

“Well, she's got at least a couple books, but they're all thick enough to be considered three books apiece.”

Lettuce giggled. Orla pulled out a chair and sat down.

“Hm,” she said, picking up the first book of the stack. “Maybe there's something about counteracting Iron Orbanate.”

“Iron Orbanate?” Lettuce said.

“Yeah,” said Orla.

The wraith girl explained about the Iron Orbanate and how she thought that Ren might try to use it (she didn't mention how Yuuto had given her this idea).

“It sounds familiar...” Lettuce said.

She wiggled a book expertly from the bottom of the stack without so much as one book wobbling. The green mew flipped through the pages and stopped.

“Here,” she said.

Orla leaned over. There was actually a human book with a reference to Iron Orbanate?

_ Of all yokai powers, none is more devastating than the ability to take numerous lives across countries without leaving so much as a mark. The secret appears to lie in the manipulation of water, as the water sources are as, if not more so affected as human populations. A strange, odorless gas with a slight green tinge spreads from water sources, and, once inhaled, cause the spread of a major disease that varies in form. It is believed that the Black Death plague was spread by this nefarious weapon, as the sickness started at the sea and moved upwards _

Orla nodded.

“That sounds like it. Does it have any info on how to stop it?”

Lettuce glanced down the page.

“Here,” she said, pointing to the bottom. “'There are few ways to stop the spread of the Green Gas. One is the sprinkling of holy water on one's person.'”

Orla snorted.

“They always say holy water,” she said. “But the truth is, only the Unseelie demons are deterred. Ren and Yuuto I'm pretty sure are Seelie, anyway, and it won't save you from the poison either way.”

Lettuce read on.

“'Another, more effective way is the concentration of full moon magic mixed with the water. This will cause a counter reaction to the Green Gas and cancel it out.”

“That's it?” said Orla. “Why am I so worried? Both my mom and I can use full moon magic.”

“Hmm,” Lettuce said, still looking down across the page.

She seemed about to say something when the back door opened and Ryou walked in. He stopped when he saw the girls.

“What are you doing here?” he said. Rather rudely in Orla's opinion.

Lettuce leapt from her seat and books tumbled to the ground with a loud crash.

“Eep!” she said. “I'm so sorry!!”

“Don't freak out so much,” Orla said, bending down to pick up the books. “ _ He's  _ the one that startled you and made you knock things down.”

She shot a look at Ryou, daring him to disagree. Ryou rolled his eyes.

“Here, I'll help you with that,” he said.

He walked over and picked up a couple of books. Lettuce turned beet red.

“No, it's okay! I'm the one who knocked them down!”

“Yeah, and I'm the one who made you do it. Now why don't you help me out?”

“Y-yes!”

Lettuce nearly tripped over her own feet before managing to bend down long enough to pick up her books.

“Demons and fairies, huh?” said Ryou, glancing at the books. “What are you researching?”

Lettuce blushed again, staring at her feet.

“Um, demons and their weaknesses,” she mumbled. “I thought...it might help...”

“Oh.”

Ryou glanced down at the books.

“It's a good idea. I wonder why I didn't think of it yet.”

“Thank you, Shirogane-san.”

“Yeah.”

Ryou shrugged.

“Is Keiichiro awake? I need to talk to him.”

“In the kitchen,” Orla said.

The blonde boy walked off, pushing open the kitchen doors and disappearing. Orla shot a sidelong glance at Lettuce, who still stared after him with bright red cheeks.

“You like him, don't you?”

“What?”

Lettuce stared wide-eyed at Orla.

“What are you talking about?”

“Ryou. You like him.”

“N-no I don't...”

“Please. I'm surprised Ryou's dense enough not to see it. You're sending out the signals like crazy.”

Lettuce mumbled something about not liking Ryou. Orla rolled her eyes.

“Whatever. But he'll never know if you don't tell him. And I personally think you're too good for him. He's so rude.”

“No he's not!” Lettuce said.

“There you go: you're defending him. Definitely a sign of liking.”

“I defend my friends, but that doesn't mean I like them in that way,” Lettuce mumbled.

“Whatever you say—”

Suddenly her senses went off like crazy. Her vision blurred and focused over and over, zooming in and out. Her ears rang and her head pulsed. Shivers ran up and down her skin and her mouth burned as if on fire while strange scents registered in her nose in rapid succession. She dropped to her knees, wishing for the pain to stop.

It did rapidly—but by the time she had regained control of herself, she could feel cold metal pressing against her neck. In front of her, Yuuto held a blade to Lettuce's throat and Kolora hovered near the kitchen doors in case Ryou and Keiichiro came out. But if those two were there, then that meant that the knife at her throat came from...

“Hello Moon-chan. Long time no see sweetie-pie.”

Dang.

* * *

_ Pai _

Sunlight streamed through the window as Pai woke up. For a moment, he forgot that time had passed. Hailie lay beside him, her soft gentle breaths soothing him and he could almost forget the terrible fire that claimed her. But the fire was past, and Hailie was back.

He touched her shoulder gently and she stirred, silver eyes opening. She rolled to face him.

_ “Ohanas, Pai,”  _ she whispered in the wraith tongue.

_ “Ohanas,”  _ he whispered back.

She slowly sat forward, leaning her head against his shoulder.

“It's morning,” she murmured. “Our first morning together again.”

Pai slid his arm around her, holding her close.

“Yes,” he said. “And it's a beautiful morning.”

Her soft breaths sounding like the fluctuating breeze on a cool night.

_ “Nokiyou,”  _ she said, meaning, “I love you” in the wraith tongue.

“I love you,” Pai said.

Hailie breathed in deep.

“Where is Orla?” she asked.

“She went to perform the New Moon Ritual.”

The moon wraith nodded.

“It would be a good idea for me to do mine tonight,” she said. “I can already feel the strain of magic loss.”

Bells jingled down the hall—someone had come inside.

“That will be Orla,” Hailie said, sliding from the bed.

But the footsteps sounded wrong. They were heavier and slower, preceded by short scuffling steps. Pai tensed.

“Something's not right,” he said.

Hailie seemed to have noticed it too, pulling a long thin staff from nowhere. Pai reached for his sword. Leoti appeared in a corner.

“Someone's in here that shouldn't be,” she said.

“Your magical defenses?” Hailie asked quietly.

“Bypassed, some way or another,” Leoti said. “Our enemies shouldn't be able to enter without permission. Normal humans can't even see the building unless it's pointed out to them.”

“Then our enemies have received an invitation.”

Leoti narrowed her eyes.

“Not likely. No one here would extend permission to them.”

“Unless they're threatened,” said a familiar drawling voice.

Pai whipped around to face Ren—and his blood ran cold. The yokai held Orla by the shoulders, his sword pressed to her neck. Orla looked down, not meeting her father's eyes.

“Sorry,” she mumbled.

“Release her,” Hailie said, her normally calm voice streaked with fury. “You've gained entry, she is no longer useful to you.”

“No, I've learned through the years that a bargaining chip is always useful,” Ren said.

His eyes flicked around the room.

“Ah, Leoti. I was hoping you'd be here.”

“What is it that you want?” Leoti said.

“I'm looking for a certain book.”

Leoti's eyes flashed.

“You're not getting that one.”

The sword pressed ever so slightly into Orla neck and blood started to bead at its tip. Pai nearly shot forward then, but Hailie grabbed his arm.

“He'll kill her before you could make it,” she whispered.

He knew she was right—but he didn't like it.

“Well, I'll just have to kill her then. And then, if you still refuse, Yuuto's got another hostage outside.”

Leoti's fists clenched.

“Fine. I'll get the book.”

Ren smiled.

“Thought you'd see it our way.”

He jerked his head.

“Kolora—your turn.”

Kolora appeared, cocking a smug eyebrow at Leoti.

“Lead the way sis. Can't have you doing anything stupid now, can we?”

Leoti's mouth tightened and she let Kolora pull her from the room. Ren stayed put, watching Hailie and Pai.

“Well, isn't this charming,” he drawled. “The family's all together.”

“Hold your tongue, yokai,” Hailie said, eyes flaming.

“You're really not in the position to be giving orders right now.”

Suddenly Kolora reappeared, shoving Leoti back into the room.

“Are you trying to play games with me?” she shouted.

“The book isn't there, idiot,” Leoti said. “Someone else took it.”

Kolora shot her angry glare at Ren.

“Might as well kill her,” she said. “Leoti's trying to mess things up.”

Ren shrugged.

“If that's the way it has to be,” he said.

The sword dug into Orla's neck.

“No!”

Pai shot forward, smacking Ren on the side of the head with his sword. Ren fell down, losing his grip on his sword. However, he still gripped Orla tightly by the arm. Orla struggled, trying to reach for her knife as Kolora slammed into Pai, wrestling him to the ground.

Pai grabbed Kolora's ear and yanked, forcing her to pull away. Her fiery sword appeared and she charged him. Pai grabbed his sword and blocked the strike. Hailie ran forward, attacking Kolora viciously with her staff. The banshee rolled out of the way and shot a blast of black fire at the moon wraith. Hailie dodged and attacked with a feeble silver flame.

“Is that all you've got?” Kolora laughed, hitting Hailie with a blast of magic.

Hailie dropped to the ground. Fear pulsing through his veins, Pai shot up to his feet and ran to his wife.

“I'm fine,” she murmured. “I'm fine. Get Orla.”

But then Kolora kicked Pai in the back of the head and spots popped in front of his eyes. He sank to the floor, head buzzing.

“Well that was easy enough,” Kolora said, placing her boot on Pai's back. “Ren, are you going to kill that girl or not?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Pai saw something move in the hallway outside. Then something big spun through the air and hit Ren in the head. The yokai fell to the ground, unconscious. Orla broke from his grip and hurled a fist of silver fire at Kolora. The banshee fell back and Pai struggled to his feet.

“Orla!”

He ran forward, pulling Orla into his arms.

“D'Arvit, Orla. How could you get caught so easily?”

Orla trembled in his arms, crying silently.

“He was gonna kill Lettuce,” she said. “He said he'd make Yuuto kill Lettuce. She's still outside with Yuuto.”

Tanya bounced into the room.

“Did you see that? Did you see that? I totally hit him in the head!! That was so super AWESOME!!”

Pai broke away from Orla, and turned to help Hailie stand up.

“Yes, thank you Tanya,” he said. “We were fighting a losing battle.”

Leoti had shot straight up.

“They're gone. Ren and Kolora are gone.”

Pai turned quickly. Surely enough, both enemies had vanished. Leoti whirled on Tanya.

“What did you throw at them? What was it that you hit Ren with?”

“A really super big book,” Tanya said.

She looked over and paled.

“Hey, where did it go? I had almost found what I was looking for!”

Leoti leaned against the wall.

“Please tell me that wasn't  Being a Historie of Daemons ,” she said.

“Uh, yeah,” said Tanya.

“That's why it wasn't there,” Leoti said. “And now they have it.”

“Why?” said Orla. “What's so important about that stupid book?”

“It has information on how to activate a vast number of dangerous poisons. They could be planning anything right now. Anything.”

Orla shifted uneasily.

“Something like...Iron Orbanate in Tokyo Harbor?”

Pai gripped his daughter's shoulder.

“Tell me where you got that idea. Then we go and wake up the others.”

* * *

_ Lettuce _

Lettuce's wrists hurt. Her fingers were numb. The ropes kept her arms tied firmly behind her back—but none of this could compare to the absolute terror surging through her veins.

“Why can't we just kill her?” Kolora asked, grumpy after having to carry the green mew through the air. “She's too heavy.”

“We need someone with water powers,” Ren snapped. “It was a stroke of luck that she was one of the girls we managed to capture at all.”

Yuuto trailed behind the flying group, lugging the heavy book.

“Why don't we just use a boat or something?” he grumbled.

“Too conspicuous. This way we have a few hours to get this started before the Kyaldians catch on.”

“Maybe,” Yuuto muttered.

Ren glanced back at the younger yokai.

“You say something?”

“No.”

Ren stopped, hovering over the ocean.

“Hand me the book, Yuuto.”

Yuuto tossed it. Ren flipped through.

“Why didn't you just bend the corner over?” he said. “It would make things a lot easier.”

“I don't like ruining books,” Yuuto muttering under his breath.

Ren rolled his eyes.

“Intellectual,” he said. “Wait a moment, why is this page marked?”

Lettuce tried to see, but Kolora hovered too low.

“yokai contracts? Who was reading about this?”

“Not me,” Kolora said. “It must have been Leoti.”

Yuuto shifted uneasily.

“Whatever,” Ren said. “Here's the page. Iron Orbanate...Yuuto, do you have the vial?”

Yuuto dug into his pocket and tossed a vial of something that looked like pencil lead shavings to Ren. The yokai just barely caught it.

“You know, you could hand things to me,” he grumbled.

Yuuto shrugged.

“Okay, let's see...it needs to be activated by someone with water powers, then tossed into the water source you need to pollute,” Ren said.

“How do you activate it?” Kolora asked.

“Simple enough. All they have to do is mix it with their magic created water. In this case, the mew's Rush attack.”

A tremor of fear made Lettuce's heart jump.

“I—I don't—” she stammered.

“What's that, hostage?” Ren said.

Lettuce swallowed.

“I—I won't do it,” she mumbled.

“You don't have much of a choice,” Kolora said. “Yuuto, get your knife on her.”

Yuuto sighed and drew his dagger. Lettuce trembled as the blade brushed against her neck.

“Change of heart yet?” Ren said.

Lettuce couldn't stop trembling. Why did she have to be so afraid of everything? She had to be strong, like Orla and Ichigo!

“N-no,” she said. “I—I w-won't do it.”

Ren laughed.

“Look at her tremble! This is more fun than I thought it would be.”

He nodded at Kolora.

“Go ahead,” he said.

“Finally, something fun,” Kolora said.

Pain crashed into Lettuce like a tidal wave. A scream ripped from her throat as hot burning pain licked at her skin. Then it was gone, leaving her shivering with its memory.

“Now transform,” Kolora hissed in her ear. “And activate the poison.”

Lettuce couldn't stop silent tears from streaming down her face. She had to hold on!    
She had to! The green mew shook her head, still crying silently. Ren sighed.

“Still holding on, is she? Yuuto, do you have anything that might...persuade her?”

The young yokai shrugged.

“I might.”

“What about that obedience stuff? The orange powder that does temporary possessions?”

Yuuto rolled his eyes.

“It's called Fidelis Senpre,” he said.

“Yeah that.”

Yuuto stuck a hand into his pocket, feeling around. Lettuce felt her insides go numb. It wasn't going to matter anyway. She would be forced to do it, after trying to hard not to.

“Hey!!”

The familiar voice jolted Lettuce back to her senses. There were boats below! And her friends were on them!!

“You leave Lettuce alone!!” Ichigo shouted.

“D'Arvit,” Ren swore. “How did they find us so quickly?”

“It has to be this one,” Kolora said, drawing her sword and holding towards Lettuce. “She must have contacted them somehow!”

“Don't kill her!” Ren said. “We still need her! Yuuto, get the powder out now!”

Yuuto almost appeared to be going slow on purpose. By the time he pulled the vial from his pocket, Mint had flown up and struck him with her attack. Kendra came up behind Ren and snatched the book, drawing him after her. Kolora raised her sword.

“I don't care what Ren says,” she hissed. “I'm killing you, mew.”

Lettuce shut her eyes. Then suddenly Kolora screamed and Lettuce was falling down, down, down...

She smacked into the water and all the air rushed from her lungs. Something in her leg cracked and she was pretty sure a bone had broken. Lettuce started to sink—then strong hands grabbed her by the arm and heaved her into the boat.

“Lettuce! Are you okay? Talk to me!”

Lettuce coughed, trying to regain the air she had lost.

Someone untied her wrists and the blood started to flow to her hands. Her vision cleared and she was staring up into Ryou's bright blue eyes.

“Lettuce, are you okay?” he repeated.

Lettuce felt her face started to warm and the tears started again.

“I'm so sorry, Shirogane-san,” she said. “I let them catch me.”

“Shut up,” Ryou said. “Just shut up. Stop being sorry, idiot. The important thing is that you're alive.”

He helped her sit up. She started coughing again and Ryou checked her over.

“You broke your leg,” he said. “You may have cracked a rib too. That's not counting the bruises on your wrists and these burns down your arms.”

Lettuce felt suddenly self conscious as Ryou examined her burns.

“I'm really okay,” she mumbled.

“No you're not,” Ryou said. “I'm surprised you've managed to stay conscious this long.”

His eyes softened and he ruffled her hair.

“You did good,” he said. “You stood your ground for longer than you should have had to.”

Lettuce blushed.

“I...I could have killed everyone...”

“But you didn't,” said Ryou. “You're in no condition to fight. I'll take you to shore while the others clean up here.”

Ryou moved to the boat controls, firing up the engine. Lettuce closed her eyes, trying to stop crying. The pain in her leg was overwhelming. The fact that she was alone in the boat with Ryou was even more so. But she couldn't stop herself from thinking about how helpless she was. She couldn't even help her friends fight. And now she was just going to have to wait on the shore, wondering if they were going to be okay.

But of course, nothing ends this easily.

Ren shot down from the sky, hurling his sword into the engine. It sputtered once and died. Ryou swore loudly, turning to face the yokai. He didn't stand a chance. Ren slammed into Ryou, knocking him across the temple with the hilt of his sword. Ryou dropped unconscious and Ren yanked him up by the hair, brandishing his sword.

“You activate the poison or he dies,” Ren said.

Lettuce could have been trying to formulate a plan. But her mind blanked out.

_ Always! I always freeze up!! _

“Transform, mew. Now.”

Lettuce tried to stem the terror-induced tears, pulling out her pendant.

“Good girl.”

“Mew-Mew Lettuce,” Lettuce's voice trembled. “Metamorphoses.”

The transformation took about three seconds. Ren tossed the vial to her.

“Now use your attack on it, and dump it in the water.”

Lettuce hesitated. She couldn't do this! She would be responsible for killing everyone in Tokyo—even Ryou would end up dying in the end anyway! Ren tapped his sword against Ryou's head impatiently. Lettuce swallowed and opened the vial.

“Lettuce Castanets,” she whispered. “Ribbon Lettuce Rush.”

The attack rushed into the vial, pushing it out into the ocean where it quickly sank. A slow smile crossed Ren's face.

“Finally!” he said. “A plan that can't be reversed or foiled. Congratulations Mew Lettuce. You just sealed the fate of all your friends.”

Lettuce sank to her knees, crying uncontrollably.

“Well, neither of you will survive anyway,” Ren said. “But maybe I'll have some fun.”

The yokai heaved up Ryou's unconscious body.

“Say goodbye to your boyfriend,” Ren said.

Then he threw Ryou over the side of the boat. The world snapped into slow motion. Without even thinking about it, Lettuce leapt after the blond boy as he sank beneath the waves, pain shooting through her broken leg. Ren grabbed her arm.

“Nuh-uh,” he said. “Let's let him sink for a while first.”

Suddenly, Lettuce felt something she couldn't remember feeling since she met Ichigo—anger. She was angry that she had been captured. She was angry for being threatened. She was angry at her friend Orla being threatened. She was angry that Ryou had gotten hurt because of her. She was angry that she had been forced into throwing a powerful poison into Tokyo Harbor.

Lettuce whirled on Ren.

“I hate you!” she screamed.

Then she punched him in the stomach. As he struggled to get his breath back, Lettuce dived into the water. She couldn't see Ryou—where had he gone?

There! He was still sinking! Lettuce dived after him, ignoring the fact that the water had started to burn against her skin. Fish staggered past her, gills flaring furiously as they tried to breathe. Lettuce ignored her own lack of breath, pushing herself farther under the water. Her leg flamed with fresh pain every time she kicked it, threatening to make her black out. Similar pain erupted in her chest every time she heaved a breath.

She was so close! She could almost grab his arm—then a freak current pushed him even deeper. No! She had to get to him!

The water was turning acid all around her. Even though she could normally breathe underwater because of her DNA, she found herself gasping and coughing. Her skin burned like it was on fire. Gas bubbles started to form, rushing up towards the surface to release their dangerous contents.

But still, Lettuce pushed downwards, swimming after Ryou's sinking shape. Then suddenly, a small blue light flared up ahead where Ryou was.

_ Mew Aqua! _

Lettuce tensed, and pushed forward one more time. More pain flared through her and she blacked out for a split second, but she finally managed to wrap her arms around Ryou's unconscious body. 

_ Please don't die,  _ she thought.  _ Don't die. I never even told you how I feel! _

Then she did something that she would never forget for the rest of her life—something that would both haunt her and cause happy tingles in her chest every time she remembered it.

Lettuce leaned down and pressed her lips against Ryou.

_ I love you,  _ she whispered in her mind.  _ Even if you never know it, I'll always love you. _

Then the Mew Aqua flared and the pain in her chest and legs faded. She felt her legs melding together and smooth dolphin-like skin covered them. Her feet elongated into long fins and the white ribbons on her head extended down. In a small bubble around her, the acidic water changed to normal.

Lettuce the mermaid tightened her hold on Ryou.

“I'm going to get you to the surface,” she whispered.

Then she flew towards air.

* * *

_ Orla _

Orla landed heavily in one of the boats.

“Orla-chan!”

Ichigo pulled her to her feet.

“You okay?”

“Fine,” Orla grunted.

“I'm moving the boat!” Keiichiro shouted.

The engines roared and Orla clutched Ichigo's shoulder to keep from falling.

“Kirema fish ahead nanoda!!” Pudding shouted.

Zakuro stood and hurled her attack at the approaching kirema anima. Keiichiro swerved around the ones the attack missed.

“Hang on!” he shouted.

Mint dipped down.

“Pudding! I'm taking you into the sky!”

“Yay nanoda!”

Mint gripped Pudding under the arms and shot back into the sky.

“I'm going back up,” Orla said.

“We'll take care of these,” Ichigo said, nodding at the fish.

Orla didn't bothering nodding, taking off into the sky where the others battled the bird kirema anima.

“Ribbon Moon Dance!”

One bird defused.

“This is insane!” she shouted, fending off a giant goose.

“Everything we do is insane!” Kish said.

“Good point.”

Suddenly, someone screamed something incoherent and Orla looked down. Ren reeled back from Lettuce and the green mew leapt into the water.

“Where's she going?” Kendra said.

“Good question,” said Orla. “Another good question: where did Ryou go?”

Kish blanched.

“Not good,” he said.

The same idea had just occurred to Orla.

“Mairead could go after them,” she suggested.

“She could, but she's busy keeping Kolora from making more kirema anima. The rest of us can't breathe underwater.”

“Great Blue,” Orla swore. “What about the poison?”

As if to answer her question, an acrid smell rose from the ocean, giving Orla the overwhelming desire to throw up.

“He must have gotten her...to activate it...” Orla coughed.

“Great Blue,” Kish swore.

Green bubbles started to form at the surface of the water. A few popped, letting out a wispy green gas.

“Iron Orbanate,” Kendra said. “Not good.”

“That was redundant,” Orla said.

Her stomach started to lurch. She felt that same sensation she had felt when Ren attacked her: the feeling of all her senses going out of control. Her veins burned and her katanas vanished. The transformation dissolved and it was all she could do to stay in the air.

It was as if someone had set fire to metal and sent it through her veins. Magic died at her fingertips and she vomited into the ocean. Behind her, Kish was going through the same thing, hovering in a normal form and hurling the contents of his stomach into the sea. Kendra grabbed Orla's shoulder.

“What's wrong?” she said. “What's going on?”

“Spirits—affected—more—” Orla choked. “Kish—half—sylph—I—half—wraith—”

Kendra swore, guiding both Kish and Orla back down into the boat.

“What's happened?” Ichigo said.

“Spirits are more affected,” Kendra said. “We'll be feeling the effects soon enough unless we can stop it. I have to get over to Fen and Hailie. If this is the effect on half-bloods I don't want to risk the full bloods up there alone.”

Orla grabbed Kendra's arm.

“Tell—Leoti—” she said. “Full—moon—magic.”

Kendra nodded.

“Got it. I'm off.”

Orla coughed and threw up again.

“Dang,” Ichigo said.

Kish shuddered uncontrollably, jerking around involuntarily.

“If this keeps up, they'll be dead in under twenty minutes!” Keiichiro said.

Agonizing pain ripped through Orla's insides, eating away at her magic.

_ If I survive, I'm gonna have to do another ritual,  _ she thought darkly.

“Akasaka-san, can we do anything?” Ichigo said.

Keiichiro swerved the boat around the kirema anima.

“Not that I know of. Powdered gold might help, but...”

Orla coughed again. This time she coughed up blood.

* * *

_ Ren _

Pain. That's all he could register. Pain filled every inch of his body—it was like something was eating him from the inside. Was this Iron Orbanate's power? Weren't demons supposed to be immune?

On second thought, everything he had heard about the dangerous substance was to pour it in then get out of there as fast as you could. Even professional Dust Mages usually refused to go near it. Yuuto had been against it from the start—he had tried to warn Ren of the dangers. Ren swore at himself—he was such an idiot. This entire thing had been a bad idea. He should have listened to Yuuto: the young yokai was the most influential Dust Mage in the yokai world, he knew what he was talking about.

Now Ren was going to die for his stupidity.

_ Well, while I'm dying I might as well rethink my life,  _ he mused. How charming—he still had his sense of humor.

He hadn't really enjoyed the mission in the first place. Threatening Moon-chan...he hadn't really liked that bit. Would he have actually killed her? And what about that green mew...had it really actually been  _ fun  _ to torture and threaten her?

No, he decided. It hadn't. At the time it seemed like it, but looking back on it gave him a sense of guilt in his stomach. That was odd. He'd never felt guilty about anything before—why now?

_ Well I certainly picked a good time to turn good guy,  _ he thought.  _ Now that I'm dying, I decide to feel guilty for the bad things I've done. How convenient. _

There was no point in worrying about it now. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the pain.

That was when the bright white light flashed across the ocean. The green mew burst from the ocean, holding the blond boy in her arms.

_ So she's alive,  _ Ren thought.  _ Deep Blue ordered me to make sure she died after she had served her purpose. But for some reason, I don't care anymore. _

Lettuce landed back in the water next to the boat he lay prone in. She broke the surface, gasping then coughing as she inhaled the gas. The light that shone from her was blinding and Ren closed his eyes against it.

He felt the boat move and suddenly cool relief flooded through him. He opened his eyes and saw Lettuce touching his arm, letting the blue light of Mew Aqua flow into him. Soon the blinding pain had faded and he stared at Lettuce.

“Why?” he said.

Lettuce looked down.

“I didn't want to be responsible for a death,” she said. “I don't like to see people die.”

Ren stared at her, then glanced across the water, where he knew Moon-chan was probably suffering the same fate he had just experienced. He stood up and hovered in the air.

“You'd better help your friends,” he said.

He turned to leave, then glanced back at Lettuce.

“Thanks,” he said. “I'd apologize, but that doesn't seem like it would really cut it.”

A small smile crossed his face.

“I might have...misjudged humans.”

Then he vanished.

* * *

_ Orla _

Orla felt something cold quenching the burning pain inside of her. When her vision cleared, Lettuce hovered over her anxiously.

“Lettuce!” Orla said, shooting up. “You're okay! Where's Ryou? Wait a minute, why are you glowing? Holy crap, you're a mermaid!”

“We don't have much time,” Lettuce said. “The poison's starting to spread—you've got to use your moon magic on the ocean!”

Orla blinked.

“But...the poison pretty much destroyed all of my magic reserves,” she said.

“No...” Lettuce said.

Orla touched her Eversphere.

“Maybe if you lent my some of that Kyalda...”

Lettuce nodded, touching the pendant. Cool white magic pulsed down her arm and into the Eversphere. Orla felt a jolt of pain before the magic settled.

“Okay, we're good to go,” she said. “I'll be back in a minute.”

Orla hovered above the water, letting magic flow to her fingers. It sparked and started to burn. She let the silver fire loose and it burned into the water—then fizzled and went out. The realization hit her and she swore.

“I don't have full moon magic!” she said. “I only have new moon magic!”

“No!” Ichigo said.

The poison was starting to get to Orla again and she felt dizzy. Now what?

Something bounced off her head and she snatched it from the air. She stared down at a vial half filled with a bright silver liquid. She looked up and caught a glimpse of Yuuto before he vanished. Looking back at the liquid, she decided that even if it was a trap, she would die from the poison anyway so she really had nothing to lose.

The wraith girl popped the cap and downed the liquid in one gulp. Instantly bright silver sparks traveled down her arms and burst into silver light. Orla directed the beam at the water. The sea started to foam and bubble. These bubbles let out a bright sparkling gas that shot into the air and ate away at the green gas.

Orla's headache faded as the poison vanished from the air.

“YES!” she screamed. “YES!! We did it!!!”

* * *

_ Ren _

Ren hovered high above Tokyo Harbor, Yuuto next to him.

“You've been helping them this whole time, haven't you?” he asked without looking at the younger yokai. “You woke up Leoti. You suggested the Blood Field plan in order to reunite the Kyaldians with their parents. You opposed this plan, then warned Orla ahead of time and gave her the full moon potion.”

Yuuto sighed.

“Yeah.”

Ren folded his arms.

“Why didn't you tell me?”

“You seemed like you liked attacking the Kyaldians,” Yuuto said. “You've always loved making contracts. I figured you'd just report me to Deep Blue.”

Ren blew out.

“I probably would have, before.”

Yuuto's dark eyes pierced into Ren's green eyes.

“And now?”

Ren sighed.

“I won't,” he said. “But I don't think I'll help you with what you're doing. Not yet, anyway.”

His eyes found where Lettuce and Orla hugged each other. So different. Yet both so intriguing. Yuuto followed his friends gaze and smirked.

“You can only pick one, you know.”

“Shut up,” Ren said. “Let's get back. We need to fabricate a story for Deep Blue.”

Then he vanished.

* * *

_ Lettuce _

Ryou hadn't come out of his room for the past three days. Keiichiro said he was still recovering from his exposure to the poison. Still Lettuce couldn't help but wonder if the blond boy remembered anything from his rescue.

She felt her cheeks warm and turned her attention to the research on the table in front of her. She had promised herself that she would forget about the kiss. It hadn't happened. But still, it stuck in her memory like a fly stuck in a Venus flytrap. 

The morning light streamed through the cafe window as the green mew tried to turn her focus to the books on demons in front of her. She still came to the cafe in the mornings to study. She wasn't sure whether it was because of Ryou, or because she wanted to keep up an image of normality.

A soft knock came from the back door. Lettuce looked over. The door opened and Ryou walked out.

“Oh, Shirogane-san!” Lettuce said, standing up. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Better,” he said. “I didn't startle you, did I?”

“N-no,” Lettuce said. Dang, she was still stuttering! “The knock gave me enough warning.”

“Good. That's why I did it.”

He walked over to her and Lettuce felt her heart speed up.

“Still researching?”

Lettuce nodded silently, wishing the heat to fade from her cheeks. Ryou sighed softly.

“Listen Lettuce. I never really thanked you for saving my life back there.”

“It...it was no problem,” Lettuce mumbled. “You don't have to thank me.”

“Yes, I do,” Ryou said. “You risked your life jumping into that poisoned water with your broken bones.”

He looked her up and down.

“The Mew Aqua healed you?”

Lettuce nodded. Ryou sighed, relieved.

“I'm glad,” he said. “Really glad.”

They stood silently for a few moments. Then Ryou straightened and walked towards the back door.

“Oh, Lettuce,” he said before vanishing through the door.

“Yes, Shirogane-san?”

“First off, call me Ryou.”

He smiled at her flustered expression.

“And second, there's a performance starting tomorrow at Tokyo Dome. Meet me at the train station at three tomorrow.”

Then he closed the door behind him, leaving Lettuce staring after him.

“I still say he's too rude for you,” Orla announced, making Lettuce jump.

“Orla-chan!!” Lettuce said. “Don't appear like that!”

She blushed.

“Did you...did you hear the whole thing?”

“I just caught that last bit,” Orla said. “I mean really. He says it like he expects to come. You're  _ way  _ too nice for him Lettuce.”

Lettuce sat down, a warm fuzzy feeling growing in her stomach.

“But I will be there,” she said softly. “I love Ryou-san.”

Ryou-san. It sounded good on her tongue.


	36. Cockroaches, Flies and Beetles, Oh My! - Not to Mention Super-sized!!

_ Kish _

_ Terror. Absolute, freezing, paralyzing terror. Then running, charging, fleeing. Labyrinth twisting and turning—no way out. Dark twists and turns. The glint of a red eye, the flash of steel. Sudden burning fury—then cold numbness. Twisting, running, endless. Heaving breaths, cold sweat. Shadows move suspiciously: a high, cold laugh rings across the maze. _

_ Then everything stops. Blue swirls among the black like an eerie mist. Soft sobs. A shadow appears in the distance, crying silently... _

“Ichigo!”

Kish burst awake, cold sweat running down his face. His heart raced, as though he had just run a marathon.

“You okay oniichan?”

Kish jerked back, suddenly realizing that Tanya was in his face.

“I heard you yelping,” Taruto said, blinking sleep from his eyes in the bed across.

“Me too—from across the hall!” said Tanya, bouncing in place. “I'm surprised Orla-oneechan didn't wake up. Or Kendra-oneesama. Mairead-oneechan sleeps like a rock, so I'm not surprised that she didn't wake up. Kokoro snores too loudly too hear anything else—”

Taruto hurled a pillow at his sister.

“Shut up,” he said. “I'm trying to sleep.”

“Don't throw things ototo-san!!”

She threw the pillow back. Kish sat up slowly, wincing at the pain in his head.

“You okay?” Taruto asked, sitting up groggily.

“Just a bad dream,” Kish said.

“Was Ichigo-oneechan in it?” Tanya asked. “You shouted her name?”

“Yeah,” said Kish. “It was that dream from before, the one with Ichigo crying. I haven't had it since I became a Kyaldian.”

Taruto nodded, remembering.

“So you dreamed about Ichigo crying before we got here,” he said. “And now you suddenly dream about it again. Wonder what it means.”

“It means my calculations were correct.”

Kish yelped and fell out of bed, startled by Leoti's sudden appearance.

“Ow...what calculations?” Kish asked.

Leoti glanced at the three Kyaldians, then at Bryn and Rikuto where they still slept soundly.

“Wake them up and get dressed,” she said. “Ryou and I will brief you at the cafe.”

Before Kish could sneak in another question, she had vanished down the hall towards the girls' room. He sighed.

“She likes her secrets WAY too much,” he grumbled.

“Yay! Mysteries!” said Tanya, running back towards the girls' room.

* * *

_ Kish _

Why did Ryou insist on keeping the lab so dark? Did he like to be overly dramatic or something? Kish stumbled across the pitch black room, trying not to run into anybody.

The lights flickered on. Kish glanced back, seeing Ichigo at the light switch. She shrugged.

“I like being able to see,” she said.

“Me too,” Orla grumbled.

Ryou shot a glare at them both.

“We need the lights off to see the screen,” he said testily.

“Ryou, when was the last time that the screen was ever actually useful?” Ichigo said. “I mean really, none of us understand your technical jargon anyway.”

Ryou rolled his eyes and walked over to Leoti.

“Okay, so tell us about these calculations,” said Kish.

Leoti glanced across the room, taking in each person in turn to make sure they were all there.

“All right,” she said. “Now, nearly half a year ago, the Kyaldians were created to combat Deep Blue after his third attempt at reincarnation.”

“We know this already,” said Orla.

Leoti held up a hand for silence.

“Months later, Kish has a dream about the prophecy of an ally and the three specified travel to earth. However, they are intercepted in transit—supposedly impossible except by professional time warlocks—and furthermore have their memories wiped.”

“Which brings us to the first point,” Ryou said. “Why didn't Kolora and the others kill them while they were unable to react?”

“Who knows,” said Ichigo.

“Maybe they felt like torturing us?” Taruto suggested.

Leoti shook her head.

“There's a bigger picture here. Consider this: had your memories not been wiped and you hadn't been forced to attack Tokyo, the mews would never have existed. The ally you were supposed to retrieve would have be useless.”

“Hey,” said Ichigo. “I'm not useless!”

But Kish caught the inference.

“So you're saying we were supposed to have our memories wiped,” he said. “Someone wanted the mews to exist.”

“Precisely,” Leoti said. “In other words, no Kyaldians, no mews. If you kill Kish and Taruto, the rest of the Kyaldians are easy targets and the allies could have been picked off easier without having any powers. Two dragons with one arrow.”

“This whole thing has been carefully planned and anticipated by someone who's had a long time to think about it,” Ryou said. “We're all just part of the scheme.”

That wasn't a particularly encouraging thought.

“Then why the attempts to kill us off?” Zakuro said. “The Iron Orbanate. The attack at Christmas. The radio tower. It doesn't make sense.”

“Distractions,” said Leoti, waving a hand. “To keep us from realizing the truth. I doubt Kolora and the others even realize that they're supposed to lose every time.”

“Distractions that have almost gotten us killed,” Mint grumbled. “Multiple times.”

“Think about it. If Deep Blue's real plan had been to take over Synoch and then move on to Earth, don't you think he would have spread his forces more widely?” Leoti said. “Just attacking Kyoto and then Tokyo where there are people who can defeat his minions, is not a very effective way to run things.”

“But then what is their plan?” Lettuce asked. “And who is planning it?”

“And that,” said Leoti. “Is where we hit the heart of the matter.”

Her sky blue eyes bore into Kish's yellow ones.

“I assume you've heard of the ancient goddess Azulda?”

It almost seemed as though a chill seeped into the room at the sound of the name. Meav hissed in agitation and Anzu's fur fluffed out.

“She was killed by the Alliance three million years ago, before the Upheaval,” said Bryn. “We learned about it in history.”

“Deep Blue was also thought to have died at their hands. And yet he has managed to reincarnate nearly three times,” said Leoti. “It appears Azulda survived as well.”

“But what does this have to do with the plot thingy?” Tanya piped up.

“Azulda is said to be more...cunning than Deep Blue,” Erinda said, speaking for the first time. “She is more subtle in her approach, more persuasive. She's probably the real mastermind behind this.”

She peered at Leoti.

“I believe you have come to this conclusion as well?”

Leoti nodded sharply.

“Azulda needs power to be reincarnated. That's where the memory wipes come in.”

She nodded to Ryou, indicating that he should take over.

“Mews and Kyaldians are the only beings able to harness Mew Aqua, or Kyalda,” Ryou said. “Mews can manipulate its transformation and healing powers.”

He nodded at Lettuce and Ichigo.

“Kyaldians take control of its more combative power. The elemental side, if you will. Both would be necessary to reanimate Azulda's dormant spirit.”

“How?” Zakuro asked, eyes flashing.

“Over the years, Azulda gained a grudging respect for the purer forms of magic,” Erinda said, taking over. “Music, friendship, loyalty. Love.”

The fairy woman's eyes brushed against each person in the room.

“She learned of their powers and accepted them—unlike many other enemies, which soon became their undoing. Because of this, she is a dangerous opponent, able to bend these pure magics to her own dark will.”

“In effect,” said Leoti. “Azulda needs this group—and only this group—to bring her back to life. The power of your unity, friendship and love is enough to bring back an entire third of the underworld.”

“But after she gets us to reanimate her...” Kish said.

Leoti nodded.

“She kills all of you.”

Not the cheeriest thought in the world.

“What does this freak want?” Orla said. “To take over the world like everyone else?”

“I cannot be sure of Azulda's motives, but I believe they go deeper than 'taking over the world,'” Leoti said.

The Wing Elf might have said more, but it was at that moment that a loud  _ ping  _ sounded from the giant computer screen. Ryou turned and tapped the wall, bringing up a keyboard.

“Oh, hidden keyboards,” Chantilly giggled. “ _ So  _ Stone Age. My keyboards are invisible now.”

Ryou glared at her, then tapped a couple of keys.

“There's a huge energy reading in Odaiba,” Ryou said. “Omega level.”

“D'Arvit,” Leoti swore. “We took too slow to catch on.”

She whirled to face the people that faced her.

“We're going to need all of you to think on your feet,” she said. “Everything you do today could have been carefully orchestrated to further Azulda's plans. Think outside the box when you can. Pinpoint the site of the energy reading—and keep an eye out for anyone strange!”

“Strange?” Kendra asked as they moved towards the door.

Leoti caught Kish's gaze and held it for a brief moment.

“Someone out there holds Azulda's spirit within them,” she said. “Deep Blue is out there as well. Anyone is suspect—and they wouldn't even know it if they did have the spirit in them.”

A sting of doubt passed through Kish at those words. What was Leoti trying to say? But then Orla and Ichigo were both dragging him out the door and the thoughts blew away faster than his wings could carry him.

* * *

_ Kish _

Trees sprawled out for as far as the eye could see, mingling among futuristic skyscrapers. It looked like something out of an sci fi anime.

“What happened?” Kish said, touching down to earth.

“That, is a super good question,” said Ichigo, landing neatly beside him.

“It's like the whole city got eaten by killer trees!” Tanya said.

“Cool nanoda!” said Pudding.

“Hey, quiet! I've got a hold on the energy source!” Chantilly said, pulling on a pair of gloves and futuristic helmet.

“What are those for?” Orla asked.

Chantilly grinned—not that you could see it while she was wearing a helmet.

“My new computer prototype,” she said. “The gloves transmit signals to the helmet when you move your fingers across the virtual keyboard. Now these signals are digital rather than—”

“I'm being blinded by science,” Leoti grumbled, sounding for once like an ordinary thirteen-year-old. “Just keep the technical jargon to yourself, okay?”

“No one understands a genius,” Chantilly moaned.

The purple Anzu leapt from Leoti's shoulder.

“I have my own hold on the energy,” he said suddenly.

The little gold crown on his head vibrated and sparked with electricity.

“What do you sense?” Leoti asked.

“Amazing!” said Anzu. “This forest was here three million years ago! I remember meeting Prince Jun in this very spot—I thought the forest had died in the Upheaval.”

“The past is repeating itself?” said Lettuce.

“More likely, the future is reflecting the past,” the purple Napajit said. “Specifically, the time tunnel has very precise brush points with the rest of the world. In Tokyo especially, time quadrants—”

“More science!” Leoti said. “Can we just  _ move _ ?”

“For once, I agree with you,” Mint said.

“Too much soldier in you,” Chantilly said, elbowing Leoti in the side. “Go ahead—I'll keep contact from here.”

“Finally,” Kish said.

Anzu took the lead, sniffing at leaves every now and then. Sparks flew from his forehead whenever he got the right direction down—everyone figured out quickly to stay far out of his way.

Kish kept his senses open, listening for anything suspicious. He checked the air currents constantly for any movement—nothing beyond themselves and the wind around them.

Orla, Lettuce and Mint walked in a tight group, each one scanning the surroundings nervously. Tanya and Pudding held hands tightly, both whispering to each other as they dragged Taruto along behind with a disgruntled look on his face. Kendra walked silently, having placed herself strategically at the back left flank where she could keep an eye out for ambushes. Zakuro mirrored the dragon Kyaldian's actions, taking the back right flank as her eyes flicked from side to side. Leoti walked beside Anzu, probably conversing mentally with the Napajit. Ichigo didn't seem to be too bothered, bouncing slightly as she walked with Mairead. Come to think of it, Ichigo had been in an extremely good mood lately. Ever since that attack at Christmas...

He wondered vaguely if something had happened between her and Masaya. However, the thought was brushed away when he heard something buzzing ahead of them. He stopped suddenly, holding up a hand for the rest of them to stop. Leoti had stopped too, tense.

“What is that?” Orla murmured, barely moving her lips.

Kish checked the air currents. It was about ten feet away, coming from the brush ahead. Big, maybe about four feet in length and three feet in width with a strange oval shape and wings. He was suddenly glad that he had transformed before he got here.

Then the thing burst from the bushes, zooming towards them. He heard several screams and yelps—then the thing flew past them without a glance. Kish whirled just in time to see it vanish.

“That wasn't...” he said.

“It was a fly,” Ichigo said, shaking. “A really, really, really big fly.”

Tanya and Pudding hugged each other, accidentally squeezing Taruto between them. Kish took in everyone, trying to assess any damage. There was none—except that Zakuro stood stock still, shaking ever so slightly. Her tail had gotten a lot bushier, maybe even twice its normal size.

“Hey, you okay?” Kendra asked.

A nod. Mint's eyes widened.

“Oneesama...don't tell me you're afraid of—”

Suddenly the biggest cockroach Kish had ever seen crawled out from the bushes, chittering shrilly. Kish was pretty sure he had never seen anything move so fast—Zakuro, that is. The purple mew bolted down the trail away from the giant beetle. Unfortunately, it noticed the motion and went after her.

“Oneesama!” Mint shouted.

The bird mew shot through the air after them.

“Mint! We can't get separated!” Ichigo shouted.

“Come on!” Kish said, charging down the trail.

No sooner had they started running when a giant praying mantis pushed through the brush, bringing Kish to a stop.

“Praying mantises are aggressive, right?” he said.

“They are predatory, but they only eat aphids,” Mairead said.

The mantis lifted up a scissor like claw and slashed at Kish. Thanks to his dragon reflexes he narrowly avoided getting hit.

“Well I guess we look a lot like aphids!!” he shouted. “Let's go!”

He darted around the beast and continued on his chase after Zakuro and Mint. Anzu jumped up from behind and landed lightly on his shoulder.

“Left!” the Napajit said. “The other left! Now around that big tree up ahead! Watch out—there's a bunch of cockroaches behind those trees to the right! Now straight ahead! That's where Zakuro and Mint ran!”

Kish burst out through the undergrowth, nearly unseating Anzu. Mint whirled around, bow drawn.

“Mint! It's just me!” Kish said.

“Oh.”

The arrow fizzled out.

“I thought you were another cockroach,” she said. “It took forever to chase the last one off.”

Kish looked around the clearing.

“Where's Zakuro?”

Mint suddenly looked embarrassed.

“Um...”

She pointed up. Kish followed her finger to a tree branch up above. Zakuro sat on the branch, trying not to tremble.

“Of all the things she had to be afraid of,” Kish muttered. “Okay...”

He turned to talk to the others—but it appeared that he had lost them in that mad dash before.

“Great,” he said. “Now we're lost and separated.”

A low hum filled the clearing.

“What is that?” Mint said, drawing back another arrow.

Kish concentrated.

“It kind of sounds like...”

Mint paled.

“Hornets. Really big hornets.”

* * *

_ Yuuto _

“This is insane! Where did this forest come from?”

The small yokai stared down at the huge expanse of trees that mingled with Tokyo's buildings.

“Beats me,” said Ren. “Some plan of Deep Blue's we weren't told about?”

Kolora suddenly shook her head.

“I don't think so. The energy—it's much too different. Can you feel it?”

Yuuto concentrated. A faint hum emanated from the forest, right at its center. It bubbled and foamed on the edges of his mind...

“Wild magic,” he said. “Something big is leaking magic.”

“Exactly,” Kolora said.

Ren narrowed his eyes.

“Does anyone else hear something buzzing?” he said.

“Yeah, the magic's kind of buzzing,” Yuuto said.

“No, I mean something actually on our plane of existence. Can't you hear that?”

Thousands of tiny shadows rose from the trees below, coming up in a swarm of black.

“What...” Kolora started.

“Hornets!” said Yuuto. “Giant ones!”

Ren licked his lips uneasily.

“Shall we move to higher distance?” he said.

“Good idea,” Yuuto said, shooting up into the air.

Kolora glanced down.

“Did you hear  _ that _ ?” she said. “Someone's screaming down there.”

Ren and Yuuto glanced at each other, something passing between their eyes.

_ Most definitely the Kyaldians. _

“Perhaps the Kyaldians are down there,” Kolora said. “Shall we check it out?”

“With all those hornets?” said Ren, glancing uneasily at the swarm.

Kolora laughed.

“Don't tell me you're afraid, Ren,” she said, smirking gleefully at him.

“Of course not!” Ren said. “Come on Yuuto, let's go.”

He zoomed down and Yuuto hurried to catch up.

“But you hate anything with stingers,” he said. “Ever since that one bee hive three years ago—”

“I'm not a kid anymore, Yuuto,” Ren said, disgruntled.

Yuuto rolled his eyes.

“Whatever,” he said. “Just don't let Kolora see your aura. You're giving off major fear signals.”

Ren wisely chose to mask his presence from the hornets far below.

* * *

_ Ichigo _

Ichigo gripped Mairead's hand tightly.

“This is not cool,” she said. “I can't believe I was stupid enough to lose the others!”

“Those ladybugs threw both of us off guard,” Mairead reassured her. “It's as much my fault as it is yours.”

“But now we're trapped in a freaky prehistoric forest with giant bugs!”

Mairead squeezed Ichigo's hand.

“We'll be okay,” she said. “Just think about getting out of here.”

“That all I'm thinking about,” said Ichigo. “I hope everyone's okay.”

Throughout this entire exchange, Mairead kept one ear open for any movement in the brush. Not a thing moved.

Suddenly a splitting headache struck Mairead and she dropped to the ground, pulling Ichigo down with her by accident.

“Mairead-chan!” Ichigo said. “Are you okay?”

Mairead couldn't answer—the pain in her head blocked out every other sensation. She couldn't hear, see, smell, feel.

Then just as suddenly it vanished, leaving behind a hollow sensation like just having lost someone precious.

“Are you okay? Talk to me!”

“Talking,” Mairead coughed. “I'm okay. I think...”

Ichigo helped Mairead sit up.

“What happened?”

“I'm not sure.”

Something tugged at Mairead's brain. It was like something called her from nearby. Her first thought was that Kish was talking to her mind-to-mind. Then she realized it wasn't a voice, it was more like a feeling.

She stood shakily.

“There's something that way,” she said, pointing. “I feel it.”

“Let's go then,” Ichigo said, gripping Mairead arm in case she fell again.

The pair moved slowly forward, occasionally changing direction. Once Mairead turned them all the way around before getting hold of the mind tug again. She stumbled over a huge tree root—that didn't seem to be coming from any of the trees around.

“That thing is huge!” Ichigo said, eyes widening. “None of these trees are big enough for that.”

Mairead kept walking. Bright sunlight suddenly greeted them, along with a glimpse of the blue sky.

“Whoa,” Ichigo said. “I can still see the skyscrapers! There's Tokyo Tower!”

Mairead stumbled forward, moving towards the giant tree at the center of the clearing. It twisted and turned, with gnarled branches that reached up and then down and huge tree roots undulating up and down through the ground like sea serpents. Shiny green leaves cascaded around the tree like emerald hair. A hole had been hollowed out at just the height where Mairead could look into it.

The Cyniclon girl stood on and tree root and stood on tiptoes to peer into the hole.

What she saw inside nearly made her heart stop.

* * *

_ Kish _

“Ribbon Windstorm!”

Another line of hornets fell back, but it only seemed to enrage them more. Mint shot arrows into the fray, bringing down one, two, three hornets. More still more came on.

“Great Blue,” Kish swore. “There's no end to this!”

He glanced hopelessly into the tree where Zakuro huddled, trembling. Had Zakuro not been mortally afraid of insects, she probably could have taken down the whole swarm with one strike.

Kish yanked his mind back into the present and hurled a sai at a hornet that got too close to Mint's back. It dropped dead and the sai reappeared in Kish's hand.

“What are we going to do?” Mint shouted at him. “You're always the one with the plan!”

She had a good point.

Suddenly, a hornet shot from the swarm and barreled into Mint, pinning her to the ground. The blue mew struggled against its weight, trying to hold the three-inch long stinger away from her heart.

“Mint!” Kish shouted, turning to help.

But another wave of hornets flew out to meet him. Kish swore and hurled his sai at the closest. It dropped to the ground, unmoving.

_ Why won't they defuse? _

Then it hit him

_ They're not kirema anima! They're actual insects super-sized by the energy! _

Mint's scream brought him back to the present. However, as he ran forward the biggest hornet in the swarm shot forward, knocking him to the ground. It sat heavily on top of him, buzzing angrily in his face.

“Why are you so angry?!” Kish shouted.

To his surprise, images started to speed through his mind. Multifaceted views of gray trees spun all around. A bright white light blocked out his vision and searing pain shot through him as his body started to expand—Kish broke away from the sensations.

“You're angry because something made you too big?” he said. “You like being small?”

A feeling of satisfaction. The hornet was agreeing.

“Why? Isn't being smaller more dangerous?”

An image of crawling inside of a flower.

“Oh. You need the nutrient from inside the flowers and you can't get them now.”

Another satisfactory feeling.

“I could help you get back to normal if you don't kill us.”

Suspicion, then an picture of a flyswatter and bug spray.

“I'm not like that. I'm not even human.”

Blackness for a moment. Then the hornet projected a picture into Kish's mind of taking Mint away, them getting back to normal, then Mint coming back.

“You're trying to blackmail me.”

Confusion.

“Sorry, sorry, you probably don't know that word. I mean that you're threatening my friend to get what you want.”

An image of someone raising an eyebrow. Kish was about to say something about Mint being way too high maintenance and so too much trouble when a sense of unease came over the hornet. It zoomed off of Kish's chest, buzzing frantically. The hornet on top of Mint left her and the swarm zoomed away.

“Well that ended well,” Kish asked. “Who knew hornets could communicate?”

“You were talking to it,” Mint said, staring at him. “Really talking to it. Was it saying anything back?”

“Images and emotions, mostly. Are you okay?”

“Fine,” Mint said. “A couple of scratches, but that's all.”

She whipped around to check if Zakuro was all right.

“They didn't notice her,” she said, relieved. “I wonder why they left?”

Kish thought he knew why. He pointed by way of answer.

“Probably that.”

Mint turned slowly.

Standing behind them was a spider big enough to consume an elephant.

“Oh,” said Mint. “That's probably why.”

* * *

_ Mairead _

A body floated within a strange blue gelatin that appeared to fill the tree. Mairead stared, terrified and morbidly attracted to the obviously lifeless thing.

It looked like a girl about her own age, maybe a year or two older. Her porcelain skin rivaled that of a vampire's, popping out against the raven black of her long loose hair. A thin dark blue dress clothed her and her arms folded across her chest. The eyes were closed, as though she was trapped forever asleep. Obvious signs of wounds covered her body, tearing the dress in places. Scars crisscrossed her arms and side. The fatal blow appeared to have been a chest wound.

“Mairead-chan?”

Ichigo's voice barely broke Mairead's stupor.

“Mairead-chan? Are you okay?”

Mairead couldn't stop staring. A sudden pang shot through her heart. Why had the girl died so young? Why had she been encased in such a strange place? Her heart went out to the girl. It must have been terrible, to die so young. And what had killed her?

_ Those who didn't understand me... _

The voice didn't seem very surprising for some reason.

“Mairead-chan?”

Ichigo's voice drifted away.

_ Who are you?  _ Mairead asked.

_ I am one who was robbed of a life that could have been well-spent for the good of all. _

_ Who....killed you? _

Mairead was sure she saw the body shudder.

_ A man. A man jealous of my abilities, and afraid of being uprooted from power. _

Mairead saw an image of a boy with shaggy brown hair a lot like Fen's. His face was contorted with an ugly rage as he plunged a blade again and again into the defenseless girl's body. Mairead found that she was sobbing silently to herself.

_ I long for life again...to feel the wind once more. _

Mairead reached out.

_ I want to help,  _ she thought.

_ Would you? Would you really release me? _

_ Yes. _

_ Good... _

The eyes flashed open, fixing Mairead in their burning red gaze. She couldn't stop herself now. Her fingers reached farther and farther forward, pushing into the gel towards the body.

_ Good...  _ the voice said.  _ Just a little closer... _

Suddenly a scream rang through Mairead's mind. Pain flashed in her side for a split moment and she felt as though constricted. The Cyniclon girl stumbled backwards, falling into Ichigo.

“Oof!” Ichigo said.

“Kish!” Mairead said, suddenly realizing where the mental scream came from. “Kish's in trouble!”

Ichigo leapt to her feet, dragging Mairead up with her.

“Then go!” she said. “Quick, we have to get there before he gets himself killed!”

Mairead charged off, transforming into the Blue Nymph. The memory of the girl with the red eyes vanished entirely...but she had the sudden feeling that she had made someone very annoyed.

* * *

_ Ren _

Ren did not like this forest—it gave him a bad feeling which had nothing to do with the hornets. Although the hornets did make him shudder internally.

“What are we even doing?” he said.

“You're usually the one with the plans nowadays,” Kolora said irritably.

“Coming down here was your idea,” Ren pointed out.

“Shut up!”

Yuuto's hand shot up, motioning for quiet. Kolora and Ren fell silent—Yuuto rarely gave orders. Something must be wrong. The younger yokai gestured towards the brush, his eyes questioning.

_ Do you hear that?  _ He seemed to be saying.

Ren did hear that. A clicking sound accompanied by the rustling of something extremely big was passing them by—nothing but a shadow lumbering past. Ren swallowed, his skin crawling. It was a really, really, REALLY long shadow.

Finally, the thing was gone. Ren let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding.

“What...was that?” he said.

“It can't ever be rabbits and butterflies, can it?” Yuuto said darkly.

“You're both sad excuses for demons,” Kolora said. “Let's split up. We'll cover more ground.”

“Oh, so you have a plan now?” Ren said.

Kolora shrugged.

“Kill anything that moves. That good enough of a plan for you?”

“Whatever,” Yuuto said, flying off in one direction.

“Fine,” said Ren, going in another.

He hadn't been flying for longer than two minutes when he realized he had been going the same direction as that long, sinister shadow. He considered turning around—but then the scream rang through his ears and he decided to follow it.

The yokai zoomed passed the trees—and stopped before smacking into what had to be the most enormous centipede he'd ever seen. It reared up over two small shadows below it, clicking its giant pincers menacingly.

Ren suddenly felt nauseous and leaned against a tree. Moments later, he threw up.

“Bugs,” he muttered. “I really hate bugs.”

Another scream. They sounded like they were in agonizing pain.

“Ribbon Lettuce Rush!”

Ren jerked up. Sure enough the green mew was pummeling the centipede with water, trying to get it to drop the thing it held. Ren looked up and suddenly felt freezing cold with fear. Dangling from one pincer was Orla, hanging by the back of her battle costume in half unconsciousness.

“Ribbon Lettuce Rush!”

The attack struck the centipede's head and it screeched angrily, dropped Orla. Lettuce tried to catch the Cyniclon girl, but a centipede leg tripped her up and both of them went down in a tangled heap. One giant leg hovered over the two injured girls and started to come down.

A surge of some strange emotion—could it be fear?—shot through Ren chest. Without thinking, he called up his sword and hurled it towards the giant creature. The blade lodged in the centipede's side with a sickening thump. Pausing in its attack on the girls, it turned to see what had pricked it with a thorn. Ren swallowed—the centipede's pincers looked a lot like a pair of stingers. He really didn't like stingers.

The beast fixed a fractured gaze on Ren and let out a menacing screech. All right. Time to move.

Ren feinted left, then darted to the right while the centipede tried to move as fast as the much smaller yokai. Without really giving it much thought, Ren grabbed Orla's unconscious body, throwing her over his shoulder. Then he yanked Lettuce's arm over his other shoulder and moved awkwardly into the air, zooming beneath the biggest tree he could see.

Gently, he leaned Orla up against the trunk and let Lettuce slip gently to the ground. Then he sat back on his heels, thinking about what he had just done.

_ There wasn't anything in it for you,  _ he told himself.  _ Why'd you do it? _

He sighed, looking at the two injured girls.

_ Because I didn't want to see them die. _

Suddenly he felt a bit mischievous—much more like his old self. He pushed Orla's bangs from her face and kissed her firmly on the lips. The thought of her face if she woke up during this was so priceless. Then he sat back again. His eyes fell on Lettuce and he suddenly felt guilty for kissing Orla. Why? What the heck was wrong with him??

Ren touched Lettuce's face gently. She had saved his life, even though he had nearly taken hers. Why was she so selfless?

Suddenly, the green mew stirred. Ren jerked his hand back as her eyes opened. She sat up and saw Ren. To his surprise, she didn't get scared or angry or—anything really. She looked across at where the giant centipede looked around wildly for its suddenly missing prey, then at the unconscious Orla, and back at Ren.

“Did you...save us?” she asked.

Ren looked away—he didn't want to look into her big calm eyes.

“...yeah.”

“Why?”

“You saved me last time. I'm just repaying you.”

Lettuce cocked her head slightly.

“Oh. Well, thank you.”

Ren stood up suddenly, turning his back to her.

“This isn't going to become a habit,” he said. “We're square. Next time we meet I'll be your enemy again.”

Lettuce didn't say anything. Ren glanced back. The green mew was busy tending to Orla, checking her pulse and forehead. Gods, that girl annoyed him.

Then the world exploded around them. The tree groaned and crashed to the ground, nearly crushing the two girls. Ren whipped around, drawing his swords. A branch flew towards him and he rolled under it, looking around for Lettuce and Orla. Lettuce was trying to shield Orla with her body from the falling debris. Already bloody cuts crisscrossed her back. The centipede had found them.

Ren swore and sliced at the centipede leg in front of him. It fell to the ground, severed completely. The creature let out a pain-filled screech and struck at Ren, slamming him into a tree and holding him there.

“Ribbon Lettuce Rush!”

The leg fell away and Ren slumped to the ground.

“D'Arvit, Lettuce,” he muttered. “Now I'm in debt to that girl again.”

“Ribbon Lettuce Rush! Ribbon Lettuce Rush!”

Then centipede stumbled back and tripped over its own legs, coming tumbling to the ground.

“Ribbon....Lettuce...Rush!”

The attack came more feebly now. Ren pushed himself to his feet and hacked off another centipede leg before it could get up. It tried to push itself up, but fell back again as another leg fell off. It one angry strike, it shot its head forward—towards Lettuce.

Again, Ren wasn't entirely sure if he had planned on the course of action he was about to do, but he did it anyway. The yokai pushed himself into the between world, then out again next to Lettuce, yanking her to the ground, under the centipede's strike.

The attack went over their heads. The centipede pulled slowly back, letting out a high-pitched whine. Lettuce trembled slightly.

“It's sad,” she whispered. “Why is it sad?”

“Probably cause it didn't get to eat us,” Ren said.

The centipede drew back, limping away on its remaining legs. It continued to whine until it had passed from sight. Ren didn't move. Then he realized what position he was in—he was lying on the ground, holding Lettuce close to him. Lettuce seemed to have realized this too. They stared at each other.

Then Ren did something he had already done to another girl—he kissed Lettuce without asking her. She didn't kiss him back. That unfamiliar feeling of guilt passed through Ren again, and he stopped kissing her. The yokai quickly broke away from her and stood up, looking away. He could feel Lettuce's gaze boring into his back with shock and confusion.

“See you,” he said finally.

Then he vanished.

* * *

_ Mairead _

The spider screeched angrily and dropped Kish half cocooned. Mairead sliced at its legs again, dancing nimbly out of the way of the spider's strikes. She leapt over and slashed again, causing the spider to get even angrier. Mairead sheathed her sword and brought out her staff in one fluid motion, swinging the gnarled top towards the spider's head. But the creature was fast, scuttling out of the way and knocking Mairead in the side.

Mairead let herself roll with the impact, using the momentum to roll back onto her feet. She whipped out her bow and notched an arrow, shooting it directly at one giant eye. The spider moved out of the way and the arrow hit its leg instead. Mairead aimed at the middle of the eight eyes, shooting another arrow. This one went a bit too low, lodging in the ground. The spider took advantage of the time it took Mairead to grab another arrow, charging forward and knocking her off her feet.

“Ribbon Strawberry Surprise!”

Pink bubbles pushed the spider off of Mairead and sent it flying into the trees. It recovered quickly and charged after Ichigo. Mairead pushed herself to her feet as Ichigo leapt every which way, flipping and jumping away from the spider's advances.

“Ribbon Mint Echo!”

The blue mew hit the spider from above. Chittering angrily, the Spider lifted up its spinneret and shot a sticky ball of webbing at Mint. She didn't move fast enough and fell into a tree branch, hitting her head against the tree and falling unconscious.

Then Zakuro suddenly jumped into action. Still trembling uncontrollably as she faced the spider down, she let her attack fly forward, knocking the spider off its feet and into the air. She struck it again before it could hit the ground, the wrapped her whip around its leg and brought it crashing down. For a split second, Mairead thought it was finished. Then it started twitching. Before anyone could react, the spider had rolled back onto its feet and charged into Zakuro, lifting her off her feet and into the air, after which she hit the ground and all the air was knocked from her lungs.

“I didn't even know spiders could move that fast,” Mairead muttered, notching another arrow.

She aimed for the spider's abdomen, hoping it might pierce a vital point. The arrow flew straight and true—but then Ichigo moved in its path, her back to the deadly projectile zooming towards her. Mairead opened her mouth to scream a warning to the pink mew, even though she knew it would be too late. The arrow struck Ichigo's shoulder and she went down.

“Ichigo-san!” Mairead screamed.

Ichigo struggled up. Blood started to blossom across her back and Mairead prayed that the arrow had missed her lungs. The pink mew only just had enough energy to leap once more out of the way of the spider. It smacked into Mairead instead, sending the Cyniclon girl flying into the bushes. Something cracked in her spine and stars flew through her vision.

“Ichigo...” she groaned. “Kish...Mint...Zakuro-san...”

The transformation receded around her and blackness ate away at her vision. Far away, she heard someone charging through the bushes and shouting. It sounded a bit like Ryou. She thought she saw a gray cat dart past in the corner of her vision. Then the sound of more footsteps caught her attention.

Mairead gritted her teeth and forced herself up against a tree. Pain shot down her spine and then through the rest of her nervous system. She wasn't going to be any help in the battle with the spider, or against whoever was coming this time. Mairead slumped against the tree again, unable to keep standing. The owner of the footsteps stepped into view.

It was not who Mairead had expected.

* * *

_ Ichigo _

Ichigo felt the pain shoot through her shoulder instantly. Dizziness spread through her mind and she only barely managed to dodge the next spider attack.

“Ichigo-san!” Mairead screamed.

Then Ichigo thought she saw the Blue Nymph get thrown into the trees from a spider charge. The spider turned back to face the broken Ichigo. Ichigo squeezed her eyes shut. This was it.

“Ichigo!”

Ryou's voice cut across the clearing and a gray cat leapt out of nowhere, slashing at the spider's face.

_ Ryou? _

The cat transformed into Ryou—then Ryou vanished and the Blue Knight appeared in front of her, scooping her up and leaping away.

“Ryou...” Ichigo said. “You're...the Blue Knight?”

The Blue Knight set her down without speaking and turned to face the spider. The sword flashed from nowhere and he darted forward, pushing the spider further and further back. Ryou was suddenly at her side.

“Ichigo! Crap, what happened?”

Ichigo looked across at the battle. Blue Knight was still over there, fighting.

_ Ryou's...not the Blue Knight? _

“Ichigo! Dang it Ichigo, say something!”

“Ryou...you're a cat?”

Ryou rolled his eyes.

“You're still alive, at least,” he said. “Don't move.”

He grabbed the arrow and yanked it from her. Ichigo screamed as fresh pain rolled into her.

Another scream accompanied hers and she saw the spider skitter away, bleeding profusely from multiple sword wounds. The Blue Knight glanced back at Ichigo, holding her gaze for a brief moment. Then, as though reassured that Ichigo was safe, he vanished.

* * *

_ Somewhere else _

Well. That hadn't gone quite as planned. She hadn't expected the girl and the boy to have an empathic connection. She would remember that in the future. That yokai as well...she had expected him to fall for the silver one, but not the green one. That could...complicate things.

So close. She had been so close that time. But no matter. She knew quite a lot about her enemies now, enough to make sure the next plan worked.

She settled deeper into the shadows when a thought occurred to her.

That boy with the white wings. He would be a problem, if not taken care of.

He would have to die.


	37. Mairead's Revelation — The Truth of the Blue Knight

_ I don't think,  _ Mairead thought.  _ That I was supposed to see that. _

Her mind lingered briefly on the images in her memory. Lying broken in the forest, terrified for Ichigo's safety, Mairead had heard footsteps. At first, she had thought it was an enemy, but when the boy stepped through the trees...

_ “A-Aoyama-san?” Mairead gasped. “What are you doing here?” _

_ The boy didn't seem to notice her, his brown eyes flashing with some emotion Mairead couldn't understand. Sweat ran down his dark skin and matted his black hair. Then a blue light flared around him and Masaya was gone. _

_ Standing in his place was the Blue Knight. _

It made perfect sense. Mairead herself had become the Blue Nymph to protect Kish. Masaya could conceivably be the Blue Knight. But it still didn't fit—Masaya was a human, the only race devoid of magic. The mews had been the exception, possibly because of some distant Fayrie heritage. But Aoyama Masaya? He was too...normal. He looked nothing like the Blue Knight. Why was he able to transform?

“Um, Mairead? I think that table's clean.”

Mairead blinked, suddenly realizing that she hadn't stopped wiping this particular table for the past five minutes. Mint was giving her a funny look.

“I appreciate your attention to detail,” the blue mew said. “But you wipe that any longer and you're going to wear a hole through it.”

“Sorry,” said Mairead, moving to the next table.

“Don't apologize, Mairead-chan!” Ichigo said from across the room. “Mint, leave her alone.”

“Just trying to be helpful,” Mint said, shrugging.

“You want to be helpful? Help me sweep!”

“I'm busy supervising.”

“Yeah right.”

“Please, you two,” Lettuce said from the corner. “Bickering won't help us get done any faster.”

“Right nanoda!” said Pudding, running around the room on top of her ball. Tanya chased after her friend with an armful of plates.

“Hey Pudding-chan! Teach me to juggle plates!” she said.

Kish darted out from the kitchen and snatched the pile from Tanya's arms.

“Oh no you don't,” he said. “I remember the mess from yesterday.”

“Aw,” Tanya moaned.

Then she got over it and ran over to torment Taruto while he tried to change a light bulb.

“Yo, Mairead,” Orla said. “You okay? You've been out of it all day.”

Mairead shrugged it off.

“Just tired,” she said. “We worked really hard today.”

“That is an understatement,” Kendra grumbled. “You'd think with eleven employees we could do it. But no.”

“Well it doesn't help that at least three of our number don't do their share,” Ichigo said, glaring at Mint, Pudding and Tanya.

All three girls conveniently ignored the pink mew.

“Everything's finished in the kitchen,” said Keiichiro. “Why don't you all go on home. The cafe is as clean as it can get.”

“Thanks Akasaka-san!” said Ichigo, running to put away her broom.

Kish winked at Mairead before disappearing into the kitchen. However, he talked to her through their mind connection.

—Something up—

—Not sure—

A moment's silence. Then Kish spoke again.

—You know can talk to me right—

—Yeah...— 

Mairead took a minute to gather her thoughts.

—I'm just not sure what's going on yet—

—You let me know when you need to talk, okay—

—Okay—

Mairead broke the connection and glanced up at the clock.

“Oh wow, is it that time already?” Mairead said.

Ichigo followed Mairead's gaze and yelped.

“Omigosh, you're right!” she said. “We're supposed to go on that double date today!!”

“Right,” said Mairead, remembering.

Ichigo had gotten the idea for the two couples (her and Masaya, Mairead and Kish) to go out on a double date on Valentine's Day. Mairead wasn't entirely sure what Valentine's Day was, but she knew it had something to do with dates and chocolate.

“Did you finish your chocolate for Masaya?” Mairead asked.

“Yeah!” said Ichigo brightly. “Keiichiro helped out a lot!”

“It had better taste better than the last batch or you'll end up killing him,” Mint said.

“Mint's a meanie!!” Ichigo said, sticking her tongue out at the blue haired girl.

Mairead suddenly felt self-conscious. Should she tell Ichigo? Masaya was the Blue Knight—didn't the pink mew have a right to know that? But maybe it should be Masaya that told her—in fact, why hadn't he told her before this? Did he even realize what was happening when he transformed?

Ichigo checked her hair in the window glass.

“I gotta run home and change,” she said. “I'll meet you guys at the station in a half-hour!”

“I'll hold you to it,” Mairead said, deciding to leave the matter be for now. “If you're not there, I'll come and look for you.”

“Probably a good idea,” Ichigo said, running out the door.

Kish came back out.

“We should probably get back too,” he said. “You probably want to change out of your uniform before we go.”

“Yeah,” said Mairead.

Kish laced his fingers into hers.

“We'll see you guys later,” he said, waving at the others.

“Don't do anything naughty,” Kendra said.

“Not a problem with those two,” said Mint.

* * *

_ Ren _

“Hey. Today is Valentine's day in the human world.”

Ren glanced over at Yuuto, raising an eyebrow.

“And you care about this because...?”

Yuuto shrugged.

“Just throwing it out there.”

Ren rolled his eyes and focused back on the Shinumaze game he was playing against Kolora. Shinumaze was a magic-based game of strategy and tactics. The board could be anything from a labyrinth to a ocean and pieces ranged from human soldiers to banshee mages. Plus everything was imbued with magic so the pieces moved and talked, and you couldn't always tell where your opponent's pieces were.

Ren moved a squadron of yokai warriors forward. Instantly they were engaged by Kolora's vampire dragon, which quickly incapacitated three warriors before Ren's archers in the back killed it with a flying stake. Kolora growled angrily and checked what she had left.

“Valentine's Day,” Yuuto said again.

“Are you still on about that?” Ren said.

The distraction cost him two of his necromancers and he swore, trying to minimize the damage by filling in with black mages.

“Why do you even care about human holidays?” Ren said, keeping his eyes firmly on the board. Kolora's zombies were looking threatening.

“It's the day when human girls ask out their sweethearts,” Yuuto said.

“So?”

Ren sent a couple of elven archers to the top of the gorge and took down a few zombies. Normally he hated using elven pieces, but they definitely beat out yokai archers in accuracy.

“I was just thinking,” Yuuto said. “Probably that Ichigo girl's gonna be out alone with her boyfriend.”

Ren shot a glance at Yuuto, suddenly interested. Even Kolora looked away from her fallen zombies to see what Yuuto was talking about.

“You have an idea, runt?” she said.

Yuuto scowled at her.

“Maybe, but now I won't share it with you,” he said.

Ren caught his friend's gaze. If Yuuto was suggesting an idea, then something was up. What was he trying to accomplish? His last idea had turned out to actually be a scheme to bring the Kyaldians and their parents back together. What could be his motives for this one?

Yuuto sat up and stretched.

“Assuming you can put the game on hold,” he said. “How about we do a little damage?”

Ren was absolutely certain that Yuuto had something up his sleeve. And the older yokai might not like it.

* * *

_ Kish _

“Ichigo's late,” Kish said, looking at his watch.

Masaya smiled.

“No surprises there,” he said. “She's always late.”

Kish frowned. This was definitely true but...

He exchanged glances with Mairead. They both knew that Ichigo could have been attacked, but they couldn't say that in front of Masaya. Masaya seemed to notice the gaze—and surprisingly, understand what it meant.

“It's okay,” he said. “Ichigo told me. About the mews.”

Kish turned sharply to face the human boy.

“She did?” he said.

Masaya nodded.

“I figured it out myself months ago, the day of the radio tower battle. But she didn't know that I knew until Christmas.”

Kish nodded.

“At the hospital,” he said. “She told you then.”

The dark skinned boy nodded.

“Do you see who I really am?” Kish said. “Beyond the illusion that Leoti set up.”

Masaya thought about it for a minute.

“I can sort of tell,” he said. “I mean, the form my brain is telling me to see looks fuzzy and out of focus. But when I really concentrate, I see through it.”

“Hm,” Kish said.

Odd. Leoti had said that humans wouldn't be able to see through it unless directly made immune to the spell. As far as Kish could tell, Masaya shouldn't be able to see Kish's real form at all, even if he had been told what was there it front of him.

Mairead's emotions brushed against Kish's mind. She was confused about something. He'd have to ask her later.

“Well then, if you know about the mews and Kyaldians,” Kish said. “You know that there's a definite chance that's she's been attacked.”

Masaya nodded.

“Okay. It's been over fifteen minutes now. This is when I normally start to get worried,” Kish said.

“Should we go look for her?” Mairead said.

Kish was about to answer that yes, they should go look for her, when a voice he really had wished he wouldn't hear interrupted him.

“So this is the boy that kitty-cat fell for. Not what I would have expected.”

Kolora appeared suddenly behind Masaya, fiery sword out and touching the boy's neck.

“I don't see kitty-cat,” said Kolora. “I guess Ren found her first.”

Masaya wisely chose not to move, as the sword was dangerously close to removing his head from his shoulders.

“What have you done to Ichigo!” he said, his normally kind features twisted into an unrecognizable anger.

“Nothing yet. But don't worry, we'll think of something soon enough.”

Masaya started struggling against Kolora's grip, trying to avoid having his head cut off as he did so. Mairead grabbed Kish's arm.

“We have to help him!” she said.

Kish's hand was already moving to his Kyalda necklace.

“Stop right where you are,” Kolora said. “We don't really need him alive for this plan, and he'll be dead before you can transform.”

Kish froze, thinking quickly. He had to contact the others!

—Mairead, contact Ichigo. Make sure she's okay. I'm going to contact the others—

The affirmative feeling in Kish's head reassured him that Mairead had heard. He reached out his mind.

_ Taruto, Tanya, Orla, Kendra, Mint, Lettuce, Pudding, Zakuro! If you can hear me, get over to the station right now! We have banshee trouble—and Ichigo's getting chased by Ren somewhere, some of you spread out and look for her! _

He broke the connection, worried that Kolora might notice the magical waves if he held it for too long.

“Well then,” Kolora purred. “What shall we do first? I can kill the boy and then you two, or I can kill you two and then the boy. Decisions, decisions.”

“You've always been indecisive, Kolora,” Kish said. “You couldn't decide how to kill me the first time we met either.”

“And I regret that now,” Kolora said, hardening into anger. “I could have killed you then and saved myself a lot of trouble.”

Mairead was tugging at Kish's coat now. 

“What is it?” he muttered.

Mairead pointed. Masaya had suddenly stopped struggling. Something flashed in his eyes, like a spark of fire somewhere inside him that he himself didn't understand. The human boy's whole body started to tremble.

“What's wrong boy,” Kolora said, back to her old smug self. “Afraid?”

Masaya didn't answer. His eyes widened suddenly.

“Ichigo...” he said.

Then in a burst of strength that Kish hadn't thought possible for a normal human, Masaya twisted deftly from Kolora's grip and knocked her aside. The banshee sat there for a full minute, stunned that she had been overpowered by a mere human.

By that time, Masaya had already charged off down the street.

“Where's he going?” Kish said, taking off after him.

“To Ichigo,” Mairead said. “He knows when she's in trouble.”

Kish shot his girlfriend a glance as they ran.

“Is this what's been eating at you?” he said.

Mairead nodded.

“In the forest in Odaiba,” Mairead said. “I saw him—I saw him transform.”

“Transform?”

Mairead swallowed.

“Kish,” she said. “Masaya's the Blue Knight.”

* * *

_ Masaya _

Everything was a blur. The trees streaked past in a unrecognizable streak of green. A strange, disconnected fear pulsed on the edges of his brain—Ichigo's fear. Only one thought coursed through him—protect Ichigo. A strange, primitive kind of feeling washed over him, sending strength through his body.

A high-pitched scream directed him towards an empty lot that housed nothing but a warehouse. Empty, his strange new senses told him. But two figures struggled up ahead.

Masaya charged down the last few feet and skidded to a halt before the empty warehouse. In the vacant lot in front of it, Ichigo slumped against the warehouse wall, only semi-conscious. Ren hovered in front of her, his back turned to Masaya. In one hand the yokai held a long curved sword. In the other he held Ichigo's power pendant.

“Get away from her!” Masaya shouted.

Ren turned and glanced at the boy, then smirked.

“And the hero arrives. Scram human, before I kill you too.”

Ichigo's eyelids fluttered and opened, meeting Masaya's eyes.

“Aoyama-kun,” she breathed. The faintness of her voice scared him, sending another wave of the strength down his spine.

“Run, Aoyama-kun,” Ichigo whispered. “I don't...want you to get hurt.”

She shuddered involuntarily and something in Masaya clicked. Fire burned in his veins, threatening to explode.

“Step away from Ichigo,” he said through gritted teeth.

“No, I don't think so,” Ren said. “Why don't you just sit back—”

A ball of green energy flared to life at the yokai's side.

“And watch the show.”

The energy sphere quivered and shot forward just as Ichigo managed to fall forward, knocking Ren over. His aim went wide, blowing up the wall next to Masaya. The impact surged out, throwing the human boy across the lot and dropping him onto the ground like a sack of potatoes. Debris flew all around him and something cut his arm. The pain numbed instantly as more of the burning strength flooded through every inch. Blue light swirled on the edges of his vision as he slowly stood up.

“I said, get away from Ichigo.”

Ren took a step back.

“What are you?” he hissed.

“Ichigo's boyfriend,” Masaya said.

Then the blue light encased him.

_ This is familiar, _ he thought.  _ Has this happened before? _

He felt something inside him shrinking away, pulling him under dark waves.

_ No! I can't black out! I have to protect Ichigo!! _

That thought snapped him back to himself. The blue light had faded, but the fire inside still burned bright, fighting to be let out.

“This is...”

He wore a strange blue cloak. Long blond hair fell around his shoulders, and he touched his giant elven ears.

“What...just happened?”

Then Ren appeared, sword flashing and Masaya reacted instinctively. With an agility he never knew he'd had, he leapt back, just out of reach of the whistling metal. He held out his hand and the fire burst into life at his palm, solidifying into a sword. When Ren charged this time, the boy was ready.

Unsure where the power came from, he matched Ren's blows easily. The yokai started to get frustrated and reckless. Masaya took advantage of Ren's wide strikes and retaliated, slashing Ren's side. The yokai yelped in pain and shrank back, but Masaya kept on, swinging the blade towards Ren's head.

At that moment, Yuuto appeared and knocked Masaya on the head from behind. He stumbled back, disoriented for a brief moment. This was more than enough time for Ren to regroup and charge once more, forcing Masaya inside of the warehouse. 

They traded blows for a few moments, neither getting in on the other. But Ren started to falter once more, forced back one step at a time. Masaya cut the yokai's wrist and he dropped the sword. In the same motion, Masaya slashed Ren's knee and the yokai went down to his knees, Masaya's sword coming up in one fluid motion to tap Ren's neck.

Neither adversary moved, staring each other down—blue to green.

“Kill me then,” Ren said. “That's what you're going to do, isn't it?”

For a moment, the transformation took hold of Masaya's brain, turning him into the Blue Knight completely. The sword hovered inches from taking the yokai's life, and for one moment, Masaya didn't feel a single shard of hesitation or regret—but then he faltered.

_ Kill him,  _ something whispered.  _ He tried to kill Ichigo. _

_ Ichigo wouldn't want me to kill someone,  _ Masaya argued.

_ You promised to protect her didn't you? _

_ But I don't want this. _

_ Do it! _

_ No! _

_ Kill him! _

_ No! _

“Aoyama-kun...”

Ichigo's faint whisper snapped Masaya back to his senses. The girl he loved lay almost motionless on the ground, breathing slow and steadily. Actually, she didn't seem to be hurt. Tired, if anything.

“You didn't really attack her, did you.”

It wasn't a question. Ren raised an eyebrow.

“Of course I attacked her. I'm her enemy aren't I?”

Masaya paused for a moment. He glanced at Ichigo's calm figure. Then he moved his sword away. The yokai stared at him through narrowed eyes.

“Do you think this is wise, human?” he said. “I might decide to kill you. Yuuto is still hovering above. He might decide to kill you too. Or your girlfriend.”

Masaya pointed his sword at Ren's discarded weapon.

“Go ahead. Pick it up. We can fight again, and I can beat you again. Or you can leave.”

Ren glanced at the sword, then back at Masaya.

“You are among the strangest humans I've ever met,” he said. “Maybe Yuuto's theory was wrong.”

Something cold suddenly filled the pit of Masaya's stomach.

“What are you talking about?”

Ren picked up his sword and tossed it from hand to hand a couple of times.

“Nothing to bother yourself with, Blue Knight.”

The sword vanished. Ren pulled Ichigo's power pendant from his pocket and tossed it to Masaya. The boy barely managed to snatch it from the air.

“Don't think that I owe you one for sparing me,” he said. “I don't plan on ever returning the favor. In fact, I'll probably kill you the next time we meet.”

“Not if I kill you first.”

Ren smirked.

“You know what? I think I'm starting to like you. Ciao.”

Then he vanished, leaving Masaya alone with his thoughts.

* * *

_ Ren _

Yuuto hovered cross-legged in the air when Ren arrived.

“You know, I almost got killed there,” the older yokai grumbled. “Why didn't  _ you  _ take care of him? He's a lot stronger than I anticipated.”

“Which pretty much confirms my theory,” the younger yokai said. “Had I been wrong, he might have killed you. But I was right, and he didn't.”

Ren raised an eyebrow.

“Are we talking about the same thing here? He didn't kill me. There's no possible way he's who you think he is. In fact, if  _ he  _ hears you mention it, we'll probably be dead anyway.”

Yuuto shook his head.

“That's the point. They're so different—that's why it confirms it.”

“I'm not convinced.”

“He beat you didn't he? Without even breaking a sweat.”

Ren looked down, a tad embarrassed.

“Well...it seems like that's been happening a lot lately anyway.”

Yuuto rolled his eyes.

“Anyway, if you're not convinced...”

Ren looked sharply at his friend.

“Don't tell me,” he said.

He caught the glint in Yuuto's eye and groaned.

“Not another hare-brained scheme,” he said. “It's going to put me at the center too, I bet.”

“Only if you agree,” Yuuto said. “Otherwise, I can handle this one on my own.”

He shot a few feet higher into the air.

“Why do you even care?” Ren said. “They're our enemies. Are you trying to find a way to break the contract?”

Yuuto considered the question.

“I'm not sure,” he said finally. “I don't know what I want right now.”

Ren studied his friend for a few moments. It was strange—until now, Ren hadn't thought Yuuto was capable of thinking up such complicated plans. It had seemed more of Yuuto's forte to hover on the sidelines and watch. Yet now...it was like he was a different person entirely. One that had no trouble conspiring against his supposed master. The younger yokai was a lot smarter than Ren had given him credit for.

“What?” said Yuuto, catching Ren staring.

“Nothing,” Ren said. “Come on, let's go find  Kolora before she finds us plotting treason.”


	38. The Fire Burning- Why Won't These Voices Shut Up???? [Part 1]

_ I'm telling you, he's asleep. _

_ He is not! I saw his eye twitch! _

_ Just because his eye twitched does NOT mean that he's awake. _

_ Shut up, Jun! _

_ You shut up, Lamar! _

_ Artemis, it's okay. Calm down. _

_ All of you, quiet! He's waking up! _

Kish Fallinor groaned, rolling over in bed. The voices vanished as he opened his eyes and stared out at the quiet room. Sunlight fell in dusty streams through the curtained window.

“Morning,” he mumbled to no one in particular.

Then a speeding bullet shot into the the room and leapt on him, driving all the air from his stomach.

“Oof,” he said.

“Rise and shine, oniichan!!” Tanya said, grinning into his face.

“How are you so active this early in the morning?” Kish groaned, covering his eyes with his arm.

“It's not early silly! It's only six am!” Tanya said cheerfully.

“That's early. Get off.”

“But it's Saturday!!”

“And that interferes with getting off of me?”

The Cyniclon slid off of his stomach, and he sat up groggily.

“Anyone else up yet?”

“Taruto!” said Tanya cheerfully. “I'm gonna go jump on Orla next!”

As Tanya ran from the room, Kish called after her.

“Careful! Orla sleeps with a knife under her pillow, and she might think you're an enemy when you jump on her!”

Tanya waved her hand to show that she had heard before disappearing off into the corridor. Kish rolled his eyes and slipped out of bed. There would be no sleeping after that high speed assault. He glanced across the room to where his parents slept next to each other. They didn’t seem to have been bothered by Tanya’s arrival. On the contrary, they looked more peaceful than Kish could remember them.

A rush of gratitude went through him when he thought about his parents. His father had been missing for years, and then he had thought his mother was dead. But here they were, alive.

_ Is he just going to sit there all day?  _ Something hissed, brushing against his mind.

Instantly, he tensed, his hand darting to touch his Eversphere.

_ Don’t look now, Lamar, but I think he heard you. _

_ Ridiculous! We’re not even trying to make ourselves heard! _

_ He's very powerful. I wouldn’t be surprised if he heard. _

_ Lamar, Jun! Both of you shut up! I’m trying to focus! _

Kish glanced around, trying to pinpoint the voices. But he couldn’t see a thing – he couldn’t even sense anyone, much less track the mind waves to the people who were conversing mentally. But if he couldn’t find the people talking, then…was he going crazy?

Tanya appeared in the door again, holding his cellphone.

“Kish-oniichan! Someone’s calling you!”

He stood up and took the cellphone, wondering for a brief moment how Tanya had gotten a hold of it. He decided he didn’t want to know and flipped it open.

“Hello?”

“ _ Aire duit an gorm ridire.” _

Kish blinked.

“Who is this? What do you want?”

_ “Aire duit an gorm ridire.” _

“What?”

_ “Aire duit—” _

The call ended suddenly. Kish closed the phone, staring at it.

“Who was it, oniichan?” Tanya asked.

Kish shook his head slowly.

“I don’t know,” he said. “Someone was saying something in another language.”

“Huh. Maybe Leoti-oneechan knows what it means?”

“Maybe,” Kish said. “I’ll ask her when she wakes up.”

“Um…” Tanya said. “You might have to wait.”

“Why?”

Tanya scuffed one foot on the ground.

“Well, I went to jump on her, but she wasn’t there. I think she left to go somewhere last night.”

“What??” Kish said, instantly alert. “How do you know she left? What if something happened?”

“Well, there was a train schedule on the night stand,” Tanya said. “And some ticket stubs. And her pajamas are on the bed, so she must have gotten dressed before she left.”

She tapped her chin.

“There was also a date circled on the calendar, so I think she had somewhere to be today.”

Kish groaned, wondering for a moment how it was possible that Tanya had noticed all of that at once.

“All right,” he said. “Well, we have to get to the café anyway. Ichigo wants to have Masaya join the team officially today.”

“Yay!” Tanya said, running off. “I get to wear my pretty dress!”

Kish rolled his eyes and went to get dressed. Those words still rang in his head though.

_ Aire duit an gorm ridire… _

* * *

_ Kish _

Kish couldn’t help but laugh as Pudding threw those giant banners that said ‘Welcome Aoyama-oniichan!’ She was such a crazy girl sometimes, but enthusiastic. It wasn’t hard to see why Taruto liked her so much.

_ What are they doing? Having fun while the Earth is in danger? _

_ Calm down, Lamar. Most of them have barely passed the age of thirteen. _

_ And we’ve put our trust on such young ones? Most of them girls for that matter! Am I supposed to sit back and watch the Alliance fall to these green soldiers? _

_ What was that about girls, Lamar? _

_ Girls have no business fighting! _

_ Oh, so we're supposed to be good little wives who stay in the kitchen, right? _

_ Precisely. _

_ Hm, let's see, who rescued Lamar from that Black Knight? Oh right. Me. And who defeated the Blue Mist army that invaded your country? Oh right. Me again. _

_ Shut up, woman! _

_ Lamar, if you weren't already dead, I'D KILL YOU. _

_ Would you all SHUT UP! _

Kish squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again. Nope, no one there. What the heck was going on?

“Kish-oniichan? Are you okay?”

Pudding stared up at him, looking worried.

“Oh, I'm fine,” said Kish. “Why?”

“You looked like you had a headache nanoda,” Pudding said.

“Oh. Well, sorry I worried you.”

Kish moved away, feeling uneasy. So he  _ was _ the only person that was hearing this. Was he just going crazy? Maybe he had taken one too many hits to the head during the previous battles.

“So where did Leoti get off to?” Ryou asked. “I thought she was coming today.”

“Oneechan left early,” Tanya said. “She circled today's date on the calendar.”

“Huh?” said Orla. “That's the first I've heard of this.”

“Hey, yeah, why didn't you tell us, squirt?” Kendra asked.

“You didn't ask!” said Tanya, then ran off to jump on Taruto, who ran away with his twin in hot pursuit.

“Today?” said Ryou.

He narrowed his eyes in thought, then a sad look crossed his eyes.

“Oh, that's right,” he said. “Today is Leoti's birthday.”

“Really?” said Tanya. “We should've said Happy Birthday to her, then!”

Ryou shook his head.

“No, it's not really a happy event,” he said.

Erinda nodded sadly.

“Leoti's foster parents died on her thirteenth birthday,” she said. “She's probably gone to visit their grave.”

The room fell rather silent after that. Kish had nearly forgotten about Leoti and her foster parents. It was strange; he had spent so much time around Leoti, and yet he still knew so little about her.

She had been raised by foster parents on earth, he knew that much. Half Wing Elf, and half banshee. She had to deal with having both Kolora and Deep Blue as half-siblings. And she had been Kyalda Amberfire many years ago, possibly much more powerful than Kish and the others. But none of this had been told to him by Leoti himself. Erinda had told him about Leoti's past, and Leoti had been forced to transform to protect them. Kish doubted she would have revealed herself otherwise.

Even after years and years, she still looked no older than thirteen, yet she had to be at least in her thirties if she had been a Kyaldian back during the time of the original group. She always seemed to know much, much more than she was telling. Her home back on Synoch had been full of strange books and objects; her shop was no different. Where had she found all of those things? Why did she even have them?

And that time when she had been kidnapped – why hadn't Ren and the others killed her while they'd had the chance? Leoti was pretty much the force behind the Kyaldians: take her out and it would be easy to bring down the rest of them. That intense pain they had put her through certainly could have killed her. But a knife through the heart was much quicker, and much more effective.

Just who was Leoti?…

The rest of the day passed without event, except for the constantly bickering voices in Kish's head. He quickly learned to tune them out, and since they didn't seem to want to kill him, he figured they probably weren't worth listening to. Honestly, the majority of the conversations were arguments between the girl voice that appeared to be called Artemis and one of the male voices, called Lamar. Then there was the old woman's voice, who was never called by name, that constantly told them to shut up. He was pretty sure there was at least one other, a boy about his age called Jun. The names seemed pretty familiar...he'd have to ask Leoti about it when she got back.

But even after they returned to the shop, Leoti wasn't there. Without much to do, Kish wandered aimlessly through the shop, glancing at the spines of the books as though an answer would jump out at him.

His phone rang, jingling in his pocket. Hoping it was Leoti, he flipped it open.

“Hello?”

“ _ Aire duit an gorm ridire.” _

“Oh not you again.”

“ _ Aire duit an gorm ridire.” _

“Goodbye.”

Kish hung up. The phone rang again, almost instantly after he had hung up. A bit irritated, Kish looked at the caller ID first this time. To his relief, Leoti's number flashed on the screen and he answered.

“Hello?”

Static filled his ears. He jerked away from the buzzing sound, then cautiously put his ear to the phone again. If he concentrated, he could hear someone breathing heavily among the crackle. He caught the beat of wings and the crackle of fire, then the sound of some form of energy hitting the ground.

“GET BACK HERE YOU COWARDS!” Leoti screamed, her voice suddenly crystal clear.

Obviously, Leoti had not meant to call Kish. 

It was rather strange, hearing Leoti's voice colored with so much anger. It was hard to remember a time he had heard much of any emotion in her voice.

“Leoti?” he said. “Leoti, can you hear me?”

He though he head the jostle of someone picking up the phone, but then a loud crack rang in his ears as the phone obviously fell to the ground and flat-lined. Kish closed the phone as the ring tone began to sound.

“Hey guys?” he called into the back.

Orla heard him first, peeking through the door.

“What's up?” she asked.

“I think Leoti might be in trouble,” he said, pointing at the phone. “She called me by accident, and she sounded really angry. I think she may have even transformed.”

Orla didn't need much more incentive. She vanished through the door, and Kish could hear her running to get the others.

_ Oh boy,  _ he thought.  _ Here we go again. _

* * *

_ Yuuto _

“You know, this is quite uncomfortable. You could have at  _ least  _ put some newspaper in here or something.”

Yuuto groaned, sick of hearing these complaints.

“Would you shut up, already?” he said. “Dumb rabbit.”

Anzu drew himself up inside the tiny cat carrier.

“ _ I  _ am a  _ Napajit _ ,” he said, sounded very offended. “Not a  _ rabbit. _ ”

“Rabbit, Napajit, what's the difference?” Yuuto grumbled.

This had to be one of the worst days he had had so far. Kolora had gotten the hare-brained scheme to kidnap Leoti's rabbit-thing called Anzu while she was alone on her annual visit to her foster parent's grave.

_ Hare-brained,  _ Yuuto thought.  _ Would you look at that. Having the worst time of my life, and I can still make puns. _

So after having to fight with  _ Leoti  _ at full strength and with little more than the element of surprise, he had come out with third-degree burns all over that hurt like hell and forced to carry a cat carrier with an annoying rabbit-thing that WOULDN'T. SHUT. UP.

“You're being very rude, you know,” Anzu said. “I mean, why a cat carrier? Very demeaning.”

“Please shut up.”

“Oh, so it's please now, is it?”

Yuuto squelched the desire to wring the purple thing's little neck. If he even opened the lock, he was pretty sure he would have purple lightning firing at him to add to his collection of burns. All that was keeping the dumb thing in the cat carrier were a few wards and charms to hold fae creatures.

The young yokai groaned inwardly. Plus, this dumb mission was preventing him from working on his newest project. He doubted he would be able to go back to it anything soon, not with a murderous Wing Elf on his tail. The only thing that had kept him alive this long was the fact that Leoti couldn't teleport. But it wouldn't be long before she caught up, Yuuto knew that much.

“Yo, Yuuto.”

Ren appeared beside him.

“Mission accomplished?” he asked.

“Duh,” said Yuuto, holding up the cat carrier.

“Please stop treating me like I'm some sort of inanimate object,” Anzu sniffed. “I'm just as real as you are.”

Ren raised an eyebrow.

“Has it been like this the whole time?” he said.

“Worse.”

Ren looked into the carrier.

“I've never seen a Napajit before,” he said. “I didn't know they were purple.”

“Not all of us are,” Anzu said. “In fact, many Napajits are green, brown or blue. I'm the only purple one, as far as I know.”

“Chatty, aren't you?” said Ren.

“Well, there's not much else to do in a cat carrier.”

“Fair point.”

“Would you stop talking to it?” Yuuto said. “It's supposed to be a hostage.”

“I am not an it!” Anzu said. “I am a  _ he _ .”

“Why did we have to kidnap this thing anyway?” Yuuto said, shaking the carrier.

“Stop that!” Anzu snapped. “And I am a Napajit, not a thing.”

Yuuto ignored him.

“I think Kolora is under the impression that Leoti is bonded to it,” said Ren.

“For the last time, I am not an it!”

“Bonded?” said Yuuto. “I thought only mages did that.”

Ren shrugged.

“That's what I thought,” he said. “But I guess it happens elsewhere.”

“I'm not bonded to Leoti,” Anzu said. “I'm merely her friend and adviser. Napajits don't bond with mortals.”

“But Leoti's not mortal, is she?”

Ren and Yuuto looked up to see Kolora floating down to meet them.

“Leoti is a Wing Elf, and a banshee,” Kolora said, peering into the carrier. “Banshees are immortal, and Leoti has not aged a day since the age of thirteen.”

“True, true,” said Anzu. “But, that being said, Napajits have not bonded to any creature since the Old Earth Period. Too much corruption nowadays. It's a matter of principle, you understand.”

Kolora bared her fangs in a terrifying grin.

“You can't play dumb with me, Napajit,” she said. “I've seen the power Leoti wields when you're around.”

“I'm a natural magic amplifier,” Anzu said cautiously.

“Then why didn't Windy's power increase when you were around him during battles, hm?”

Anzu swallowed.

“Let's say, hypothetically, that I am bonded to Leoti. What would you hope to accomplish by kidnapping me?”

Kolora's grin spread wider.

“So I've caught you,” she said. “You really are bonded to her.”

“I am speaking hypothetically,” said Anzu.

But Yuuto could see the little creature was lying.

“Well, what would I hope to accomplish?” Kolora said. “Well, I have had experience with mages and their bonded animals. I know what happens to a mage when their bonded dies. I know how strong the bond is, and how much they will struggle to make sure it lasts.”

She leaned back.

“Leoti is a tough one to crack,” she continued. “But I've already seen how angry she got when you were kidnapped. Think of what might happen when she comes charging into rescue you. Think of what may happen when I torture you a bit in front of her.”

She leaned in close to the bars of the carrier.

“Just think,” she said. “Think about what she'll turn into.”

If a rabbit could get pale, Yuuto was sure Anzu would have. Instantly, the little creature jumped to his feet, lightning crackling at the prong on his forehead.

“She won't,” he snarled, more like a lion than a rabbit. “I won't let that happen. She won't give in!”

“We'll see about that,” Kolora said. “I've got to get going, before my little sister shows up.”

She smirked at the two demons.

“And don't worry boys, I can take care of it from here. No need to have too many cooks in the kitchen, yes?”

She vanished into rippling air, leaving Yuuto with a bad taste in his mouth. It was the same feeling he had gotten before signing Deep Blue's contract. Which meant nothing good was going to come out of this.


	39. The Fire Burning- Why Won't These Voices Shut Up???? [Part 2]

_ Leoti _

Leoti shot through the air, not caring if anyone in the streets below noticed her. She could barely think past the fury. It took everything she had to force her anger down and think clearly.

The cowards! They hadn't even stayed to fight! It had been quick – kneeling before her parent's grave, her mind had been elsewhere. One moment she felt Anzu's comforting warmth on her lap, the next she was thrown thrown the air by the paw of a giant kirema anima. She hadn't even needed to transform then, slicing through it with a wheel of fire to defuse it. But then Yuuto was there, shoving Anzu into a cat carrier before the Napajit had a chance to react. And then the yokai had just ran.

It made Leoti's blood boil. A distraction, then kidnapping Anzu. In her anger, she had transformed into Kyalda Amberfire – had she been thinking clearly, she wouldn't have bothered. But Anzu had been taken, and the cowards had just ran. If anything could make Leoti angry, it was the mixture of cowardice and Anzu's kidnapping.

She pulled up, her magic-sensitive aura picking up on thinned air – definitely a door into another dimension. That must be where they were keeping Anzu.

If Leoti had been able to think clearly, she would have thought twice before entering the rippling door alone, without telling anyone where she was going. After all, it was almost as though they  _ wanted  _ her to follow them,

But Leoti wasn't thinking clearly.

And it was a mistake she would regret for the rest of her life.

* * *

_ Kish _

Erinda, brow furrowed as the perspiration began to run down her face, slowly opened her eyes, shaking her head.

“Leoti isn't responding,” she said. “I can't break through her defenses.”

“Dang,” Kish said, clenching his fists. “How are we supposed to help if we can't even find her?”

“Where did she call you from, Kish?” Mairead asked. “We can start there.”

Kish shrugged.

“I'm not sure. There weren't any defining sounds.”

“She was probably at the cemetery where her parents are, right?” said Mint. “That's where she was supposed to be today, right?”

“Yeah, but she might have been on her way home already,” said Orla.

“But we can still start at the cemetery,” said Mint. “Aren't you guys like, magic trackers or something?”

Kendra nodded.

“She's totally right,” she said. “Even if Leoti was on her way home, we can follow her aura all the way to where she ended up.”

“So let's start there nanoda!” said Pudding.

“Okay,” Kish said. “Which cemetery?”

A long pause filled the room.

“You're right, there's a lot of them,” Ichigo said. “I mean, in a city as big as Tokyo. And they might even be out in the country.”

“I've got it!” said Tanya, pounding her fist on her palm. “The train schedule on Leoti's nightstand! That'll give us the general area, at least.”

“Tanya, you're a genius!” said Ichigo. 

“Okay then,” Kish said. “Let's get moving!”

_ Idiots, they're going to get themselves killed! _

_ Shut up Lamar! _

_ You shut up Artemis! _

Kish groaned inwardly.

* * *

_ Leoti _

The room she found herself in was wide and ancient, reminding her of old Gothic churches in Europe. A dull copper colored floor gleamed halfheartedly under her feet, and old pillars reached towards the crumbling ceiling. Stained glass windows were missing pieces. The hall stretched at least fifty feet down, holding rows and rows of old rotting pews. At the very end, on the raised dais, the altar and the tabernacle were the only objects of the church not ravaged by time, still gleaming as brightly as though they had been there since the beginning of time.

_ Perhaps there really is a God,  _ Leoti thought, the surroundings calming her.  _ He has kept his sacred objects free from time. _

But then she remembered her task, and she turned to it quickly. Kolora, Ren, Yuuto – they were somewhere within the church, with Anzu held captive. Leoti bristled; choosing a fight in such a sacred place – it made her hackles raise.

“You sure took your time, little sister.”

The sneering voice grated against Leoti's already foul mood. She turned, trying to keep the fury contained. There was Kolora, sitting in the balcony where the orchestra would have been when the church still gave services. Leoti's wings snapped out and she took to the air with ease. She flew upwards until she flew at the same level of the balcony.

There was Anzu, held in a small hovering ball of energy engraved with wards and symbols.

“Give Anzu back,” Leoti snapped.

“Or what?” said Kolora, smirking.

“Or I'll personally remove your head from your shoulders. Rather hard to smile with your neck is no longer attached to your body, don't you think?”

“Rather hard indeed,” Kolora said, unperturbed. “My only question is: can you get over here with your sword fast enough?”

Leoti paused, calculating. She had no idea what kind of wards were on that sphere. There could easily be a death rune engraved somewhere.

_ Anzu? Anzu, can you hear me? _

Her mind link was broken off before it reached Anzu. Anzu shrugged, letting her know that he had heard, but could not respond telepathically.

“Sorry, Leoti,” he said. “I tried to keep it a secret.”

“Not your fault,” Leoti said. “I should have been paying better attention.”

“How sweet,” Kolora crooned. “So then, shall we get started?”

Leoti took a breath.

“All right, spill it, Kolora. What do you want? I admit it, you've got me.”

It was total lie. Leoti would never admit that Kolora had gotten her from every angle. In fact, it was only to keep Kolora talking while Leoti searched her memory for a rune that could destroy the sphere.

“Want? Nothing that you could physically give me, little sister,” Kolora said. “I just want you to watch.”

Kolora flicked the sphere with one long finger. Nothing happened visibly, but suddenly, Anzu arched his back, fur splaying out. He rolled over onto his back, writhing madly. The mind link between them opened suddenly, and Leoti screamed, Anzu's pain flooding her mind. His mental screams were too much to handle, and she dropped from the sky, landing heavily on the floor of the church.

She thought Kolora was laughing, but she couldn't be sure over the screams in her mind. Leoti gulped for air, trying to reach for Anzu mentally to take away the pain. But Anzu refused, trying to block her out so she wouldn't feel it. Leoti knew she only felt a fraction of the real pain that Anzu did, and the fury began to bubble in her veins.

She couldn't hold onto it – pure uncontrolled anger threatened to burst from her. She forgot the dangers of the wild emotions in her veins – all she could think about was Anzu.

“STOP IT!” she screamed. “STOP IT!”

* * *

_ Kish _

“STOP IT! STOP IT!”

Leoti's screams almost stopped Kish in his tracks, so filled with fury they were. It was almost terrifying, but Kish pushed forward even faster. Leoti needed help!

“Right there!” Zakuro shouted suddenly, pointing into the air from the building she stood a top of.

Kish whipped around, noticing the rippling air.

“Good eye, Zakuro!” he shouted.

Kish didn't wait to see if the others were behind him, diving through the rent. It didn't feel at all like teleporting. The transfer was as smooth as walking through a door, though when the cityscape vanished and was replaced by an empty church, it took a minute for him to reorient himself.

Leoti was on the floor, clutching at her temples and screaming. Kish shot into the room, not noticing that no one else had followed.

“Leoti!” he said, reaching for her. “Leoti, what's happening!”

“No!” Leoti said, eyes flying open. “No, Kish – get away! Stay away from me!”

A strange, birdlike cry pierced the room, and Kish whipped to look up. There was Anzu, writhing inside of an energy sphere. Kolora stood beside the sphere – Ren and Yuuto were nowhere to be seen.

When she caught sight of Kish, she threw her head back and laughed.

“Not much you can do for either of them now,” she said. “Leoti's too far gone.”

“Shut up!” Kish said.

He didn't have time for Kolora! He had to break whatever spell she had put on Leoti!

Kish whirled to Leoti.

“Leoti! Are you okay?”

Leoti jerked away from Kish, eyes squeezed shut.

“No! Get away, Kish! GET AWAY!”

Then she froze. Her eyes snapped open, fell on Kish and – 

Suddenly Kish was against the wall, held by the throat. He gasped, unable to take a breath and scrabbled at the hand that held him. With one desperate move, he thrust his hands forward and blasted his attacker with a fury of wind. The hand fell away, and he dropped to the ground.

Kish coughed, trying to get air back in his lungs. When he regained focus, he stared at his attacker.

Leoti stood up, dusting herself as though the attack had been nothing but an inconvenience.

“Well, you certainly move fast,” she said. “But to be honest, it was weak.”

That wasn't Leoti's voice.

It looked like Leoti, but at the same time, it did not. The girl before him still had the same color eyes, same color hair, the same stature and height. But the blue eyes had become somehow colder. Sharper. Her face almost appeared more angular, though it was exactly the same as it had been before.

Those cold blue eyes flicked to Kish.

“Well. Interesting. I could have sworn you were Fen. Now it is obvious that you are not.”

“Who are you?” Kish said. “You're not Leoti.”

“Leoti? Leoti Azarola? My goodness. Is she still alive?”

Kolora dropped down beside the girl that was and was not Leoti.

“Welcome back, Foxfire,” she said, inclining her head slightly.

“Well, well, well. If it isn't Kolora.”

The not-Leoti glanced around the church.

“Well, let's have it. When am I?”

“It's been over twenty years,” said Kolora.

“Twenty years, has it?”

The girl completely ignored Kish's shocked expression, glancing into the worn plaque beneath a stained glass window. She examined herself for a moment.

“Well. This is most certainly not my body. What happened after Leoti and I fell into that cursed lake?”

“As far as we can figure,” said Kolora, “neither of you were supposed to survive falling into the Hadeshorn. Mortals die instantly, but neither of you were entirely mortal. So one body was destroyed, and both spirits were forced into a single body.”

“Interesting. So Leoti defeated my consciousness.”

Kish couldn't take this any longer.

“Who the hell are you?” he said, stepping forward with fists clenched. “What did you do to Leoti?”

Those cold blue eyes fixed on Kish, and faint smile appeared on the edges of her lips.

“My name is Foxfire,” she said. “I am, you could say, a fallen angel. An ancient spirit, cursed by the Fayries so that I may no longer walk in their midst.”

The eyes bore into Kish's own eyes, so much like Leoti and so different. He suddenly realized that he could no longer move, held spellbound by her eyes. She stepped closer to him, running a long finger down his face. Kish wanted to jerk away, but his body would not respond.

“I was cursed, doomed to be confined to the Shadowrift forever. Then Deep Blue came.”

She smiled slowly, sending shivers down Kish's spine.

“He summoned me into the realm of the living. In gratitude for freedom, I served him. I fought against the Kyaldians when he recovered after his battles three million years ago. I nearly killed them when that brat Leoti stepped in.”

Her smile faded.

“We fought across dimensions, one chasing after the other for who knows how long. The brat kept one step ahead of me, until I finally caught up to her in the Four Lands. We fought on a cliff, high above the poisonous Hadeshorn lake where the shades of the dead Druids reside. No mortal can enter its waters and live.”

She drew away from Kish, turned to face the stained glass window. Still, Kish could not move.

“But neither me, nor Leoti were completely mortal.”

Kish saw her clench her fist.

“I had pushed her from the cliff, thinking to kill her in the lake. But she grabbed my ankle, and we fell, still fighting, into the lake. The shades roiled around us, trying to drag us both to the underworld. But we survived.”

She flicked a strand of hair – Leoti's hair – from her face.

“And then you heard Kolora for the rest. Leoti defeated my consciousness when our spirits were forced together. I was forced into a deep sleep within her mind. Until she got so angry that I couldn't help but reawaken.”

Her smile didn't belong on Leoti's face.

“I'll admit, I despise having to use such a pitiful body. But, beggars can't be choosers, hm?”

Kish struggled, trying to free himself from the spell that held him. He couldn't believe it – Leoti had been forced to live with the knowledge of this dark...thing...in her mind for almost twenty years! For twenty years, she had had to control her emotions, always worried that the creature inside would reemerge.

Kish could feel the dark power emanating from what was once Leoti, the power that held him fast. It overwhelmed him – did he even have a chance of defeating her? If she had even half the strength of Leoti...there was no way. He would die before he even had a chance to move.

Foxfire – for he could no longer call her Leoti – walked back to Kish.

“And who are you?” she said softly. Dangerously.

Kish wasn't going to answer. He planned to ignore her. But suddenly, he found his mouth moving of its own accord.

“Kish Fallinor.”

“Very good,” she purred. “Fallinor, is it? Fen's offspring?”

“Fen and Kelda,” said Kolora. “He's the leader of the new Kyaldians.”

“Is he now?”

Foxfire turned her eyes back on him with renewed interest. She put a finger on his chin.

“Yes...I can feel it,” she whispered. “Sylph and Cyniclon. An odd mix, to be sure.”

She smiled, eyebrows narrowed.

“And much, much more powerful than his father,” she said. “Perhaps more powerful than even Hailie. But, not quite at Leoti's level yet.”

“Deep Blue's ordered us to destroy the Kyaldians,” said Kolora.

“Has he?”

Foxfire examined Kish for a moment. Kish couldn't even look away, so strong was the spell. Finally, she dropped her hand.

“He is no threat to me. I see no point in destroying him.”

“W-what?” said Kolora. “But – he could gain strength! Get more powerful –”

“It will take him years, or a miracle,” Foxfire said dismissively. “He can't even free himself from a second-rate spell when I'm at half power.”

Kish clenched his teeth, fury suddenly pouring through him. He couldn't take this any longer. First, hurting Leoti, then possessing her, and now this – totally helpless, unable to defend himself. He was going to break this spell right now.

He drew into his core, pulling out every bit of power he had. He'd show this cocky fallen angel. And then she'd wish that she had taken him out while she'd had the chance. The wind exploded around him, laden with magic. Kish had never broken a spell before – he'd hardly come up against them. He was no master of spellcraft; he had no idea what kind of technique would destroy a binding spell.

But that wasn't going to stop him.

With a blinding rage of power, he focused all of his attention on simply blowing the spell away.

_ It's just a leaf,  _ he thought.  _ Just a leaf. The wind can blow it away easily. _

And against all the odds, it worked. The spell vanished, and Kish nearly stumbled forward, surprised at his ability to move. Foxfire whipped around, shock in her eyes.

“I told you!” Kolora screeched before vanishing.

Foxfire glared at the spot where the banshee had been, then flicked her eyes back to Kish.

“Well, you continue to surprise, Fen's son,” she hissed. “But let's see if you can actually fight.”

Kish drew the wind in, swirling around him like a shield. If he could blow away one spell, maybe he could do it again during the fight.

“Well then let's go,” he said. “Wind Sais!”

He shot forward, weapons in hand and wind around him. Foxfire dodged the charge with ease, shooting a bolt of red lightning towards him. The wind did its job, twirling the bolt off course and into a window. Multicolored shards burst into the air with a shatter and Kish got an idea.

He drew a wind in through the window, picking up the shards before they hit the floor. Then he sent the wind at Foxfire, a torrent of deadly projectiles in tow. Foxfire whipped to face them, her arms raised into the air and her lips moving in silent words. Instantly, the wind changed direction, sending the shards at Kish.

Unprepared for this, Kish dove from the sky. Suddenly, Foxfire was there, magic sparking at her fingers. The spell hit Kish full in the back and he would have slammed against the ground if it hadn't been for his wind shield. The winds swirled and pushed him upwards before he struck ground, pushing him airborne again.

Kish threw one sai thew the air, making Foxfire dodge. But before she had a chance to gloat about his lack of aim,

“Ribbon Windstorm!”

A tornado grew from the spot where the sai had lodged in the ground, slamming into Foxfire where she stood beside the weapon. It tossed her into the air, then slammed her against the stone floor. Snarling, she grabbed his weapon from the ground and hurled it at him. He snagged it by the hilt and shot another twister at her.

This time she did not dodge.

“I have no more times for games with you!” she said.

Then she raised a hand, and with one inaudible word, the twister slammed into her palm. Just when Kish thought he might have won, the dark spirit grabbed the twister and absorbed it into her palm. Before he knew it, she was streaking through the air towards him.

There was no time to react. Foxfire slammed him to the ground, driving a fist into his stomach. All the air rushed from Kish lungs, and by the time he could catch his breath, Foxfire was on top of him, a hand on his throat.

“Well,” she said. “Well.”

She drew in a deep breath, calming herself.

“You fought well,” she said. “But not quite good enough.”

Kish struggled with her hand, trying to pry her off. But she was strong, stronger than he would have imagined. She put one finger on his forehead, just between his eyes.

“Good night,” she said.

And he saw no more.

* * *

_ Kish _

Kish didn't expect to wake up. When he did, he thought for a moment that he might be in the afterlife. But then Mairead appeared in his line of sight.

“Kish!” she said, relief flooding her face.

She instantly caught him in a hug, sending a wave of nausea through his head. Mairead caught on through their mind link and jerked away.

“Sorry! It's just...gods, Kish. I didn't think you'd wake up.”

Kish didn't quite trust himself to speak just yet. He still felt like throwing up. Instead, he sent her reassurance through their mind link.

“Hey Mairead, is Kish awake yet?”

It sounded like Kendra. Or maybe it was Orla. Kish couldn't quite tell.

“Yes, he is,” Mairead said.

Kish sucked in a breath, and slowly, the nausea faded just enough so that he could sit up.

“Careful!” said Mairead, helping him prop himself up on the pillows. “Gods. What happened to you in there?”

Kish swallowed the bad taste in his mouth.

“Where...where were you guys?” he managed to get out.

Mairead shook her head.

“It was weird. You went through the air and vanished. Then Mint tried to follow, and she didn't vanish. The air still rippled, but no matter who tried, no one could get through anymore.”

He could see the tears forming in her eyes.

“The whole time...oh gods. The whole time I could still feel you. I could feel everything. Whenever you were in trouble – I felt like I was being torn apart. I kept thinking, 'what if he dies? What if he dies, and it's because I couldn't help him?'”

The tears were running down her face in waterfalls now. Kish felt like  _ his  _ heart was being torn apart. He reached out, touching her hand.

“It's okay,” he said. “It's okay.”

“No it's not,” Mairead said, wiping her eyes. “It's totally not okay.”

“I'm still alive, right?” Kish said, smiling feebly.

The door opened. Kish looked up, and instantly he was smothered in a hug. Definitely his mom. Nausea shot through his head again and he was pretty sure he was going to throw up. Luckily, Mairead pulled his mom off before he did, and he fell back onto the pillows.

“Are you trying to kill me?” he grumbled.

“Gods, Kish. Gods,” Kelda said, crying.

Fen, who had also come in the room, patted her awkwardly on the shoulder.

“You almost died!” she said. “And we couldn't do anything! Oh gods.”

“Mom, I'm okay,” Kish mumbled.

The next hour went much the same, everyone he knew eventually squeezing into that room together, making sure he was okay, then not wanting to leave in case something happened.

It was a long time before someone popped the question. Unsurprisingly, it was Ryou who asked.

“Kish, I hate to bring this up,” he said. “But it's important. What happened in there? And where's Leoti?”

Kish gratefully set down the mug of herbal stuff that his mom had been forcing on him.

“Well –” he started.

But he stopped when he heard the strange sound. It was a low, keening noise, like a bird mixed with a dog. Everyone who heard it felt suddenly, immeasurably sad. Pudding burst out into tears without anyone knowing why. Even Kish suddenly got the urge to cry. A few tears ran down his cheeks at the sound.

“What is that?” he said.

Erinda didn't even have to look.

“It's Anzu,” she said. “It's Anzu.”

Sure enough, the little purple Napajit was out in the main room of the shop, crying for someone lost. Kish knew why.

And it wasn't long before everyone else knew.

Leoti was gone.


	40. My Deepest Wish – A Peek into Mairead's Past

It was not the first time she had woken with the remnants of a scream dying on her lips. She knew it would never be her last. But those dreams still haunted her, even years after the events had occurred. Those long, twisting dark corridors of stone wove through her sleeping fantasies – the ceilings still dripping with blood.

Mairead snapped herself away from the painful thoughts. She could not, would not think about them. There were too many other things to be worrying about besides the past. Like Leoti, a prisoner in her own mind. Or like Anzu, who hadn't eaten in days and whom Mairead feared would fade away into nothing from sorrow. And especially the terrible feeling of waiting – like something was about to happen, though she didn't know what. Almost a week now with no attacks. No one had even glimpsed their enemies.

What were they planning this time?

Mairead shook her head. No use in worrying about things that couldn't be changed. She slid from bed, even though the clock told her that it was barely five. There would be no sleep for her after her nightmares – there never was.

The shop was quiet, and unchanged. Dustier than before, if anything. Without really thinking about it, Mairead blew the dust off of a few trinkets on one of the shelves and wondered, not for the first time, what they did, or if they even worked.

The sun had not yet risen outside, leaving the world cold and bare. Not a soul wandered the dark streets; the only light came from the dull artificial lighting of the streetlamps.

The red-haired girl sighed, dusting off the spines of a few books. The world felt colder than normal, for some reason. She straightened, glancing around the cluttered room with half a mind to tidy it up.

That was when she noticed it – the whispering.

Just barely out of her hearing, something – or more likely, several somethings – whispered, so quiet that it almost blended in with the silence. Mairead glanced toward the back door, wondering if maybe Erinda and Meav were awake. But the sound wasn't coming from the door.

She turned in a slow circle, trying to pinpoint it. There – at the end of the bookshelf she stood in front of. Slowly, Mairead walked down the book case, running her finger across the spines of the books. She came to the last book and stopped. Here was the source.

The book was large, much thicker than the one beside it. The spine had no title, like many of the books on the shelves. Its red binding showed no signs of time, and the gold clasps on the sides still shone brightly. But the image was shattered by an iron ring that had been punched into the bottom clasp, a long, dull chain threaded through and bolted to the bookshelf.

Mairead hesitated. The whispers were intriguing, almost entrancing, but she could still remember what Leoti had said about the chained books so long ago,

_ “...I'm just worried that they'll escape and wreak havoc.” _

The last thing Mairead needed was an evil book on the loose.

The whispering got suddenly louder as she hesitated. It wove itself into her mind, increasing in volume until she had to clap her hands over her ears. But it was too late – the whispers had gotten inside her head and there was no blocking it out. She screamed mentally, reaching out for someone, anyone to hear her.

—Kish!! Kish—

But the whispers drowned out her voice, creeping deep into her brain until she couldn't think of anything else anymore. She screamed out loud this time, hoping someone would hear. Maybe if she got away from the book, she wouldn't hear them anymore! Mairead tore her hand away from the book where her finger had still been touching and dove away, landing heavily on the floor. But it didn't matter: the sounds were in her head like static.

Another scream ripped from her throat, and she was sure she heard footsteps coming down the hall towards her. Fierce relief shot through her – then the pain split through her head and she passed out.

* * *

_ Kish _

—Kish!! Kish—

The voice was barely noticeable, drowned out by static. But Kish recognized it and shot up in bed.

—Mairead—

There was no answer. Worried, Kish slid to the floor. He walked across his room, opened the door, and peeked down the hallway. The shop door was closed. Mairead's door, however, hung open slightly.

He padded down the hallway and knocked softly.

“Mairead?” he said.

No answer. He pushed through door open and glanced in. The covers had been pulled back, and Mairead's slippers were gone from where they always sat beside the bed. Kish closed the door – and then he heard Mairead scream.

“Mairead!!” he shouted.

The shop! It was coming from the shop! He charged down the hall towards the peeling door. Doors opened as he ran past, and he knew that he wasn't the only one that had heard Mairead.

He burst through the door just as another scream pierced through the room. Mairead lay on the floor next to one of the bookshelves, her eyes squeezed shut and her hands over her ears.

“Mairead! Mairead!”

She writhed on the floor, as though trying to escape something that no one could hear. Then she stiffened, and fell limp. Fear rushed through Kish's chest.

“Mairead! Mairead!”

He ran to her, pulling her up in his arms.

“Mairead! Wake up!”

Her chest rose and fell, and he breathed out. She was alive. The shop door opened.

“Kish? What happened? What's going on?” Meav's voice asked.

Orla shot into the room, knife in hand.

“Is it Ren or Yuuto? Can they still get in here from last time?”

“I don't think so,” Kish said. “I got in here and Mairead was going into convulsions. She just passed out.”

Just to reassure himself, he felt her wrist for a pulse. It beat steadily and he sighed with relief.

“I think she's okay now,” he said. “I don't know what happened though.”

He remembered the static that had accompanied her last message.

“Something must have gotten into her head or something.”

Orla's knife vanished into her sleeve. The raven haired girl glanced critically around the room.

“It could have been anything,” she said. “We don't even know half the stuff that Leoti keeps in here. Cursed necklaces, memory spheres, books that can supposedly wreak havoc...”

She trailed off. Pai appeared at the door. Kish could see Tanya trying to squeeze in behind him to see what was going on.

“Look!” she said suddenly, pointing. “That book's glowing!”

Kish jerked his gaze up to follow Tanya's gesture. A thick red book sat on the shelf, glowing a bright blood red and shaking as though something was trying to get out. With a sinking feeling Kish realized that this book was chained to the shelf – not a good sign.

“That would probably be it,” Kish said.

He stood up and went to examine it. It had no title, which worried Kish even more. Not for the first time, he wondered why Leoti even kept some of this stuff. He touched the cover gently and jerked away as though scalded. And indeed, that's what it felt like – the book had burned him. And now he could hear them: whispers that slithered on the edge of his brain, entrancing and dangerous.

“What's wrong?” Pai asked.

“The book burned me,” Kish said, wincing. “And now I'm hearing voices.”

“Kish is possessed!” Tanya said.

“Not like that,” Kish said, trying to ignore the sounds that grated against his brain. “Some evil spirit, I'd guess. It kind of hurts, actually.”

He touched his forehead, trying to shake off the voices. Hailie floated into the room and touched his forehead with one finger.

_ “Salikos,”  _ she murmured.

Instantly, the whispers dissipated.

“Thanks,” Kish said.

Hailie nodded. Then she turned to Mairead and touched the girl's forehead. Instantly, she jerked her finger back.

“It's deep,” she said. “Much deeper than in Kish. I can't dispel it so easily.”

“What is it exactly?” Kish asked.

“Old magic leaking off of that book,” Hailie said. “The book itself is not dangerous, but it appears we've hit a peak point of magic. It's starting to leak, almost like a virus.”

Kish's heart jumped.

“Great Blue, she's not going to die, is she?”

“I'm not sure.”

That wasn't particularly reassuring. Kish dropped to his knees beside Mairead.

“Mairead,” he said. “Mairead, please wake up!”

He looked helplessly to Hailie.

“Isn't there anything we can do?” he said.

Hailie sighed.

“There's one thing, but it's dangerous.”

“I don't care.”

“Your parents might.”

“I don't care about that either.”

Pai looked sharply at Hailie.

“You can't mean entering her mindscape.”

“It's the only option to sort out the spell from the mind,” Hailie said. “Otherwise it may become too deeply buried.”

“Then he's not going inside alone,” Pai said.

“What? What are you talking about?” Kish said.

Hailie and Pai looked at him.

“We're going to have to send your soul into Mairead's mindscape,” Hailie said. “A sort of spiritual manifestation of her soul and memories. It's a delicate procedure and could be fatal to both parties.”

Kish clenched his fist, feeling the stubborn fire starting.

“I'll do it anyway,” he said. “If I don't do it, it's a sure thing that she's going to die, right?”

Hailie's unwillingness to look him in the eye was enough to confirm his question.

“I'm going,” he said.

“Not alone you aren't,” Orla said. “I'm going too.”

“Orla!” Pai said. “I won't allow this.”

“I'm not a child anymore!” Orla said. “Mom, let me do this.”

Hailie was already nodding.

“Orla and Kish will go in the easiest,” she said. “Kish can't go alone, and a half spirit will slip into a mindscape easier than a normal mortal being.”

“Then we can't waste time,” Kish said. “How long is it going to take?”

Hailie stood up straight and raised a finger to brush Kish's forehead.

“About ten seconds,” she said.

And he blacked out.

* * *

“Kish, up and moving! Now!”

Kish woke up to see something flashing through the air towards him. He dove out of the way and rolled to his feet.

The world around him warped and roiled. The black sky glowed with a faint red, as though full of hot coals. The ground was covered with long aqua colored grass, and a long winding path cut through into the horizon. But what was more important was the strange bat/manta ray things that were diving at them.

“What are they?” Kish said.

“No idea! But I can't transform!” Orla shouted.

Kish's hand went for his Eversphere – but it wasn't there.

Crap.

One of the creatures swooped on him and opened its strange maw, blasting a ball of fire at him. He rolled out of the way and slammed his fist into its body. It dropped from the sky and Kish kicked it across the field, where it exploded in a fireball. Luckily, the grass did not catch fire.

“Well, they die,” he said.

He tried summoning a wind to his fingers and found that he could – though it was much weaker than normal.

“We can still use magic!” he shouted.

Orla nodded to show that she had heard and brought silver fire to her hands. Kish sent a flurry of breeze at the creatures, driving them to the ground.

“Now!” Kish shouted.

Orla set her fire loose, raging across the landscape in a silver firestorm. The creatures all exploded in fire which quickly went out, leaving them alone in the strange world.

“Well,” Kish said. “I hope those weren't important.”

“I doubt it,” Orla said. “They looked like they weren't supposed to be here.”

She examined their surroundings.

“Her brain is totally messed up,” she said. “I saw some of this stuff back home in a Second Sight class I took one year. I think those creatures might have been some form of a Thought Virus.”

“Yay,” Kish said sarcastically. “So how do we fix it?”

“We've got to find where the root of the virus is and destroy it,” Orla said. “But we've got to destroy it  _ neatly. _ ”

“How do you destroy something neatly?” Kish said.

“By not destroying anything else around it, I guess,” Orla said. “We don't want to ruin anything that's supposed to be here.”

“Right,” Kish said. “So, what? We follow the road?”

“I guess that's as good a choice as any,” Orla said. “Let's go.”

They started walking down the road.

“Okay, so since I've never taken a class in mindscapes, and you have, would you mind if I just asked questions?” Kish said.

“Probably a good idea, really. Go for it.”

“All right, so where exactly are we, for starters?”

Orla glanced around at the dismal place around them.

“Well, this is the manifestation of Mairead's soul, as it were,” she said. “Of course, most of this has been warped by the virus. I'm sure her soul isn't usually this dark and creepy.”

Kish looked at the pitch black sky and secretly hoped so.

“Okay, so what we're seeing is how her soul would be perceived.”

“Right.”

“Any ideas on why we can't transform?”

It took Orla a minute on that one.

“I'd guess it was because we're not really here. It's just our souls. The ability to transform is more of a physical thing than spiritual, since it comes from our blood. We can use magic because that's based on our souls.”

“Why is it weaker, then?”

“I think it's the atmosphere of this place. It's messing us up.”

“Joy.”

“I know, right?”

They walked on in silence then, alert for the smallest noises. Then suddenly, the road ended. The bricks just stopped, pointing out towards the sea of slowly waving grass that didn't seem to end.

“Now what?” Kish said.

Orla shook her head.

“We don't want to get too lost,” she said. “I've heard about people who got trapped in mindscapes before. We don't want to join them.”

“So do we turn around and see if the road goes anywhere?”

Orla furrowed her brow. She cocked her head slightly, staring at something Kish couldn't see.

“What? What is it?”

“Um, does this look kind of fuzzy to you? You know, right there?”

She pointed, but Kish saw nothing.

“Well, what exactly are you seeing – ”

Orla reached forward and her hand disappeared in thin air. She pulled back before Kish could freak out, her hand in perfect working order.

“Here,” she said. “The virus is hiding itself in the center. It's using illusions to get us to turn around.”

“So there's actually something here?” Kish said.

“Yeah.”

They looked at each other for a moment.

“What do you think is in there?” Kish said.

“No idea. Could be dangerous, though.”

The thought only steeled Kish even more to the task ahead.

“Let's go.”

At the same moment, they stepped through the barrier.

They weren't prepared for what was inside.


	41. A Peek into Mairead's Past

Kish suddenly felt like throwing up.

They were staring down a long, dark corridor. At first glance, it seemed normal enough, if not ominous and creepy. But then something dripped from the ceiling onto the back of his hand. He looked down to find a drop of crimson blood.

He looked at Orla, who was staring with open mouthed horror at the sight. The entire corridor was stained with blood – splattered across walls, dripping from the ceiling into puddles on the floor.

Kish's stomach lurched as he skirted a puddle. But that wasn't the worst of it.

Two feet down, strange lumps scattered the floor. Stepping a bit closer, Kish knelt down next to the first – and jerked away just as quickly.

A man, staring with lifeless eyes, lay spreadeagled on the floor, his cloak literally soaking in his own blood. Kish heard Orla retching behind him, and if he had actually been in a body, he probably would have thrown up.

“What in the name of Blue is this?” Orla said, horror in every inch of her face. “Who did this?”

Kish shook his head, utterly speechless. The bodies were everywhere – men, woman, even some teenagers. All dead.

A tiny sob came from the darkness ahead. Kish and Orla caught each other's eyes, then burst down the hallway as one. It sounded like someone was still alive!

A small girl, maybe ten or eleven, huddled in a pool of torchlight, knees drawn up to her chest and face buried in the folds of her dress. A wave of curly red hair ran down her back in thick, matted strands. Blood stained the fringe of her pale blue dress and her shoulders shook with tears.

Kish drew in a breath – he knew her. He recognized the little girl.

“Mairead?” he breathed.

Orla looked sharply at him, but Kish wasn't paying attention anymore. He dropped to one knee beside her, reaching out tentatively.

“Mairead, can you hear me? What happened here?”

Mairead didn't seem to be able to here him. A slow clap came from the shadows, and the young Mairead flinched, looking up at the figure that walked into the light.

“Very good, Mairead,” said the tall woman, her face partially obscured. “Very good.”

Mairead tried to scoot away into the wall, waterfalls of tears staining her cheeks.

“No – I didn't – ”

“You did well for one day. Let's go back to your room, shall we?”

The woman stepped closer and her angled face was suddenly thrown into focus. Terrifying green eyes sliced through the darkness like a snake. Kish flinched – he knew this face too.

“Who is that?” Orla hissed. “Can she see us?”

“It's Barbaka,” Kish said. “Mairead's foster mother – but she died years ago.”

“Then we must have gotten stuck in a floating memory. Come on, let's try to punch through to the center.”

But Kish didn't want to leave yet. Mairead never said much about her life with her foster parents, beyond the fact that they abused her. And what was all the blood? Mairead flinched away from the woman's hand.

“It's all right, Mairead,” she soothed, a sound that grated against Kish's ears. “You did a fine job. Now let's go back upstairs.”

“I – I – ” Mairead fumbled with her words. “Did I – I killed them.”

Kish froze. Orla stopped in her movement toward the walls, silver eyes flashing back to the conversation.

“Yes, you did. Remarkably well done.”

“No!”

Mairead leapt to her feet, pressing herself against the wall and away from Barbaka.

“What did you do to me?? What did I do?”

“I did nothing, Mairead. You remember our agreement, don't you?”

Mairead sniffled.

“...yes.”

“Tell it to me.”

“You were angry. Because I sneaked out to see Kendra and Kish.”

A rush went through Kish. He remember that – Mairead had found secret underground tunnels to escape through, and when they were ten, Mairead sneaked out to meet them at the boardwalk, only to have them meet Mairead's foster parents halfway to their destination. Barbaka at the time hadn't seemed too angry, maybe a little frustrated. That had been before Kish knew that Mairead was being abused, though. And Abgul – her foster father – the memory still sent chills down his spine. A tall, dark, silent shadow with a gaze that seemed like he was trying to figure out how to kill you and get away with it.

The memory warped a little in response to the past Mairead's thoughts: Kish caught a glimpse of the ten-year-old girl being dragged home – he saw Barbaka raining a flurry of blows onto the young girl's shaking form, and a flash of rage rushed through his veins. If Barbaka wasn't already dead, Kish would have killed her.

Mairead was shaking now.

“You – you said you'd kill Kendra, and Kish, and Bryn if I didn't come down here. Then you made me drink that...stuff, in front of all of those people.”

“Very good. You did well, so I will not kill any of your friends.”

Mairead shrieked and jerked away from her.

“What did I do? What was in that potion?? What did you make me do??”

“I only opened your eyes to who you really are,” Barbaka said. “Come now Mairead. Didn't you  _ enjoy  _ watching the life draining from their eyes...”

The corridor was gone. Just like that. Barbaka and Mairead were gone. Kish founded himself kneeling on grass, his fingers digging into the ground.

“Kish?”

Orla's voice was soft.

“Kish, are you...okay?”

“No. I'm definitely not. D'Arvit.”

He slammed one fist into the ground.

“D'Arvit! If Barbaka was still alive, I'd kill her! I would KILL HER!”

His voice echoed, and it suddenly occurred to him that he didn't know where he was. Looking up, he found himself staring at the biggest tree he had ever seen.

“Where are we?”

“In the center of her mindscape,” Orla said. “There's the problem.”

She pointed out a vicious looking tumor at the center of the tree, black and pulsing.

“Disgusting,” Kish said.

“Totally. Let's kill it.”

The clash of metal on metal suddenly drew Kish's attention. He shot to his feet, and stared in the direction of the noise. Nothing happened for a moment, then two figures flashed into sight, twirling and ducking as they clashed.

Orla grabbed Kish's shoulder and heaved him out of the way as one figure was thrown across the glade, nearly grazing Kish with her long sword.

“What in the name of Blue?” Kish swore, rolling to his feet.

The first figure he recognized: it was Mairead in her Blue Nymph form, fighting with her water-like grace.

The second figure he had never seen in his life.

She was the same height as Mairead, with long black hair and a long dress such a deep blue it was almost black. Porcelain skin gleamed, and light refracted off of fiery red eyes. Her fighting style matched Mairead's perfectly, and they fought with no clear advantage.

“What is going on?” Kish said.

Orla's eyes were wide open.

“In the words of the orcs,  _ Ilka tuk tak, _ ” she swore. “I've heard of this before, but hardly anyone's actually seen it happen.”

“What? What is it?”

“A mindscape dominance war!” Orla said. “It happens during possessions – both subconscious fight each other to control the body.”

“Mairead's being possessed?”

“Looks like it – and I think that tumor on the tree is part of it. I'll try to purify that, since I actually have some idea how. You try and help Mairead!”

Kish nodded curtly and hurtled toward the fight. The pair of fighters moved an an impossible speed, dancing around each other's attacks with neither having the advantage. The moved so much it was hard for Kish to aim, and he wasn't sure he could help at all. He drew a wind to his fingertips, moving from place to place as he tried to lock onto the red eyed fighter.

The moment she stood still long enough for him to aim, however, her red eyes flashed away from Mairead for a split second, and fixed on him. In a whirl of blue and steel, Kish suddenly found himself on the ground, a boot firmly on his back and the tip of a sword at the back of his neck.

“Well, isn't this a fortunate turn of events,” she said.

Her voice was high, cold and silky, making Kish shudder. Mairead froze in mid strike, her sword hovering feet away from her target.

“Kish?” she said. “What are you doing in here?”

“All right, we'll make this simple,” the tall blue cloaked woman said. “Mairead, you will surrender your mind to me, or I will destroy his soul and he'll be gone forever. He won't even reincarnate again.”

What? Reincarnate – again? What was she talking about? It appeared Mairead was just as confused by the choice of words, and she shifted uneasily.

“Time's running out, dear Mairead. Submit peacefully or I'll erase him.”

Mairead's wide, terrified eyes pierced into Kish. They were the same eyes that Kish had seen back in the memories of ten-year-old Mairead – when Barbaka had forced her to kill in order to save her friend's lives...

A fresh wave of anger and hatred rushed through his veins. Never again. Mairead would never again do anything against her will because of him.

The anger pulsed through him like hot iron. He felt his power growing inside of him as Mairead slowly, slowly, let her sword fall to the ground. Just as the figure that held him down raised a hand, lightning crackling at her fingertips, Kish exploded.

A twister burst into life around him, instantly throwing the woman off of him and into the air. She hit the ground with a satisfying thump as Kish rolled to his feet.

“Mairead! Are you okay?”

Mairead ran to him, the fear still etched onto her face.

“Kish – are you all right? Did she hurt you?”

“I'm fine. We need to force her out. Now.”

“No, Kish! She's too strong! You shouldn't even be here – your soul could be destroyed!”

“The only soul that getting destroyed is hers,” Kish said, turning. “If we work together, we can beat her!”

Mairead didn't seem convinced, but she retrieved her sword and stood by him.

“If you die, I'll never forgive myself.”

“And vice versa. Let's not die, then.”

The woman was on her feet again, eyes flashing with hate.

“Fool!” she hissed. “You'll both be destroyed!”

“It's a chance I'm willing to take!” Kish shouted.

The wind burst to life under his touch, an invisible force that pulled the woman off her feet and into the air. Lightning crackled from her sword, and Kish pulled Mairead out of the way of its strike. Mairead slashed her sword through the air and droplets of water materialized, forming into giant spheres. One by one they shot at the spot where the woman had landed, drenching her.

Snarling, she launched another burst of lightning. Kish used his wind to pull him and Mairead out of the way. They caught each other's eye as they landed, the plan forming in their linked minds.

Mairead ran towards the woman and their swords clashed once more. Kish surged around behind their fight and nodded to Mairead. She caught his gaze and leapt back, just out of the way of her enemy's sword. Another pillar of water blasted into the woman. She was up on her feet instantly, the lightning already forming at her sword. Mairead didn't move, waiting for the attack. The wind flew to Kish's fingers at his command, and at the very last second, he pushed the woman forward.

Both girls flew forward – Mairead came just out of the way of the woman's attack, but the woman went straight in its range. A piercing screech caused Kish to cover his ears. Lightning surged down the woman's frame, the power increased by the water that dripped from her body. She collapsed and went still.

Kish stood still, trembling slightly from the exertion.

“Is she – ” he started.

“I don't think so,” said Mairead. “She would have vanished, right?”

Kish took a step closer. The woman didn't move. Another step. Still no movement.

He stepped right next to her still body, trying to find signs of life. But that was silly, really. She was only a soul. Mairead was right – she should have disappeared if she had died. But then, could souls be knocked unconscious? It didn't matter – he had to see how Orla was doing with that tumor so they could finished up and get out of there.

He turned away from the still body, searching with his eyes around the tree trunk to spot the younger girl.

Mairead screamed.

And suddenly there was something very long protruding from his stomach. 

The dark figure yanked her sword from Kish's stomach and he stumbled face first onto the ground. The pain was not the same as it had been when Kolora stabbed him. Rather, it felt as though his entire body was trying to rip apart – atom by atom, particle by particle, pulling him into microscopic pieces.

A scream ripped from his throat as the pain started to penetrate farther in. He wouldn't last long – he knew he didn't have any time. Mairead shrieked furiously, and the world around him turned blood red. A long, maniacal laugh accompanied the clash of steel. But still, the pain continued – all he could really register was the fact that his hand was disappearing...

Then he felt a yank in the back of his mind and he blinked – he was staring at the ceiling of Leoti's shop, Orla hovering over him.

But the pain wouldn't stop – he still felt like he was being ripped apart. He clenched his jaw, trying not to scream.

“Kish! Come on, Kish!” Orla said, grabbing his shoulders. “Mom, can't you do something?”

“What on earth happened in there?” Hailie's voice asked.

Kish's vision was coming in patches – he could barely see. His hands and feet were so numb it was as if they didn't exist, while his heart felt like it was going to explode.

“There was a hostile spirit in Mairead's mind – Kish – Kish got stabbed! What's happening to him now? I thought he'd be fine if we came back!!”

“He's taken a soul wound – it won't be easy to heal. It may not heal, if he even survives.”

“Can't you DO something?!?!”

“I'll try.”

The nervousness of Hailie's voice was not reassuring. Kish braced himself as another wave of pain washed over him, and it was all he could do not to scream.

* * *

Kish woke up to find the sun rise peeking through his window. How had he gotten back into his room?

He tried to push his hair from his eyes – but his arm wouldn't respond. He couldn't lift it. Neither could he turn his head to see if anyone else was in the room. What was wrong with him?

He heard the door open, and soft voices came through.

“Kish? You awake?” Orla's voice said.

Kish's mouth wasn't working either – his vocal cords seemed shot too. He reached out with his mind instead.

_ Yeah. But I can't seem to move, or talk for that matter. _

The bed moved slightly as she sat down at the edge.

_ Is Mairead okay? _

“Yeah. She doesn't remember a thing, though. She just thinks she blacked out for a while.”

Huh.

_ What happened to me? I can't move or anything. _

“You got stabbed as a soul,” Orla said. “Mom repaired the damage, but...it's going to take...a while...for your soul to reattach to your body completely.”

_ What? _

“You're kind of paralyzed, for the time being,” Orla said.

Oh no.

Kish didn't say anything – it was too much of a shock. He was completely paralyzed. It was too weird to be aware of what was around you, but be completely unable to move. And if Kolora, or Ren, or Yuuto found out about his condition...

_ How long am I going to be like this? _

Orla hesitated.

“Mom doesn't know. Kish...considering the damage you took...well, she did all she could.”

No. It was not possible.

“Kish, you might not move again.”


	42. Take a Chance

Yuuto ducked into an alleyway, fear pulsing in his chest. Something was not right. Not right at all. There was a shadow stalking down the long, cobblestone street, and he was certain it could hear his traitorous heartbeat.

A flash of red eyes flicked towards the alleyway, then away. It moved on without concern. But Yuuto's fear did not die away. It was not possible. No. This could not happen. Everything he was working toward would crumble around him, if it was really happening.

If  _ she  _ was really involved...

“Sleeping, Yuuto?”

Yuuto's eyes flashed open as his spirit returned from the Labyrinth. Flashing blue eyes caught his gaze, and he dropped them quickly.

“Foxfire,” he said, not willing to look her in the face.

“You almost seem to be unhappy to see me, little yokai. Does my presence disturb you?”

“Of course not,” Yuuto said, still not looking up. “It will be much easier to perform Deep Blue-sama's commands if you are around.”

Foxfire appeared satisfied with this answer, and she strode away. Yuuto breathed out, glad the girl had not pressed him. He knew the stories of Foxfire, and what she did to those who deceived her. And it was just too disturbing to see those cold, malicious eyes on the face of Leoti. Yuuto had been counting on making contact with Leoti, to further his own plans. Now Leoti was gone. And Kish – D'Arvit. The boy was paralyzed, and Yuuto didn't know how to fix that before Kolora found out and killed him. And now...

Yuuto shuddered, remembering what he had discovered in his dreams.

_ She  _ was involved now. Surely  _ she  _ already knew what he was up to. But why hadn't  _ she  _ stopped him? Was he inadvertently following  _ her _ own dark schemes? The idea was too terrifying to contemplate.

“Hey, Yuu-kun. Yuuto.”

Yuuto looked up to find Ren standing in front of him.

“I finished that space bending spell you asked me to do,” he said. “Are you ready to go ahead with that plan of yours that you won't tell me about?”

Yuuto bit his lip, wondering how much he should tell Ren. They had been friends forever. But Foxfire had entered the picture, and taken Leoti out of it. Kish could no longer move – and easy target for Kolora and Foxfire, if they found out. And now  _ her _ ...

Yuuto took a breath.

“Let's go,” he said. “There's some stuff I need to talk to you about, but not here. Not where others can hear.”

He could only hope he was doing the right thing.

* * *

_ Kish _

The first day was the hardest. Some time after Orla had left, Mairead had come in tears and kissed him. But he could not kiss her back. They spent the rest of the afternoon together, speaking silently. It was all Kish could do not to cry. Mairead was trembling for him, afraid to leave because she believed Ren or Kolora would attack him if he was alone. Kish wanted to hold her, but he could not move.

The next day, his mother came in, crying as hard as Mairead had while trying to lecture him about not going off on dangerous missions without asking first, while his father awkwardly tried to comfort the both of them. Tanya, Taruto, and Kendra all came in after his parents, trying to cheer Kish up. It didn't work. Though he really was trying, Kish couldn't even begin to cope with his paralysis.

It took another day before the word reached the mews, and they came rushing over to see if what they were hearing was true. It was a long day, with all five girls, plus the other Kyaldians hanging out awkwardly in his room, trying their hardest to hope while Ryou, Meav and Erinda whispered incoherently in the next room. Hailie came in after everyone left and worked some healing spells she thought might help in the long run. But she couldn't do anything right away. For now, Kish was paralyzed. Maybe forever. He felt himself slipping quickly into despair.

He was trying to fall asleep, trying to forget that he couldn't move. Trying to forget that from now on, he would only be a burden in the fight against Deep Blue.

_ What's wrong with him? I can barely see! _

_ Hush, Lamar. This is serious. _

Kish groaned mentally. Now he would never sleep – the voices were back. They had faded for a while, but it appeared it had only been temporary.

_ It's his own fault for not paying more attention. _

_ Shut up, Lamar! Maybe I'll ban you from the scrying pool and you won't get to see what's going on ever again! _

_ Hinda, isn't there anything we can do? _

_ Of course not! We're in a completely different plane of existence! We can only watch. _

_ I won't believe that. _

_ Artemis, what are you doing? Artemis? Artemis! _

_ She left. Jun followed her. _

_ Thank you for stating the obvious, Pallas. She's probably off to do something stupid, and Jun will get mixed up with it. D'Arvit, why do I have to be a babysitter? _

The voices faded just like that. Kish felt somewhat disappointed. For once, the conversation had been interesting. So whoever these people were, they were watching him through a scrying pool. And they were somehow on another plane of existence – 

A book fell off his dresser with a loud thunk and a soft swear reached his ears. If he could have, Kish would have tensed, or rolled out of bed, or at least grabbed for his Eversphere. As it was, he could only wait – he couldn't even see the person until they came within view.

Soft padded footsteps moved towards his bed, and Kish was suddenly worried that one of his enemies had already discovered his condition. He was reaching out for Mairead's mind to call for help when a voice broke the stillness.

“Are you awake, Fallinor?”

The fact that Yuuto had actually spoken was so shocking that Kish was surprised that he didn't jump. He couldn't answer, of course, and he wasn't quite willing to open his mind to the yokai boy.

“Thought so. So you really are paralyzed, huh? That kind of throws a wrench in things.”

The statement was too intriguing for Kish not to answer.

_ Referring to our plans, or yours? _

“Both, actually.”

This was actually starting to get rather interesting.

_ How did you get in here? Only Ren got the invitation before. _

“Yeah, and it was a one time only deal the way Orla phrased it. Fast thinker, that girl. Tanya said I could come in so long as I didn't want to hurt anyone.”

_ Tanya did? Since when? _

“Look, I'll be happy to tell you all about it later, but honestly, I don't have much time before Deep Blue finds out what I'm doing.”

He took a breath.

“I might know a way to cure your paralysis. Don't say anything, I don't have time. I'm going to leave this here, and you can explain to your friends in the morning. And  _ all  _ of you need to go here. There's something important that needs to happen.”

He dropped something on the floor beside Kish's bed.

_ Why should I trust you? _

“Tanya's invite. I can't come in if I'm planning to hurt anyone at any time. Even if I fight with you later, that will render my invitation null and void. Ask her about it yourself.”

Then he was gone. For a moment, Kish could barely think. A cure for his paralysis? Could he trust Yuuto? There was one way to find out.

_ Tanya?  _ he thought.  _ Tanya,wake up. I need to talk to you. _

* * *

The room was tense and silent. Tanya stared at her feet, her face red as a beet. Kish wished more than ever that he could move and see what everyone else was thinking.

“How did you word the invitation again?” Orla asked for the fourth time.

Tanya didn't even look up, taking a breath before speaking.

“I told him, 'you can come in, but only if you aren't trying to hurt anyone and if you are coming in to further some plan to hurt one of my friends, you can't come in.'”

Pai shrugged.

“It's pretty foolproof, actually,” he said. “With those words, it's likely that Yuuto couldn't even memorize anything inside if it would help him to use against us.”

“But why would he be trying to help us?” Kendra said.

“Actually, it seems like he'd been doing this for a while,” Ichigo said.

Everyone turned to her, and the pink mew flushed.

“Well, I never said anything before, but he warned me when they were about to attack Masaya. And when I almost died during that fight, he gave me some kind of pill that fixed my ribs.”

Orla blinked slowly.

“He also warned me about the Iron Orbanate. Did I ever mention that?”

“You most certainly did not,” Pai said, suddenly looking annoyed. “When did this happen?”

“And Yuuto saved me when I was trapped underground from the poisonous kirema,” Tanya said. “I don't think he's really all that bad.”

“But why does he even go along with the schemes, then?” Kendra said. “Why doesn't he just walk away and join us, if that's what he wants.”

Tanya shifted uneasily, gripping her skirt tightly.

“Well, when we were underground...Yuuto told me he was under a contract with Deep Blue.”

Erinda nodded slowly.

“That would explain it. A contracted yokai doesn't have much of a choice but to follow orders until the contract is fulfilled, or the contractor is killed.”

“So he's rebelling?” Mairead said.

“That appears to be the case,” said Zakuro. “The question is, can we trust this map he's given us?”

She held up the scroll that Yuuto had left behind and laid it out. The group crowded in around it, with Mairead projecting the image into Kish's mind since he could not move. Kish studied closely.

It was definitely a map – but of what, Kish wasn't quite sure. Mountains rose all around what looked like a long, winding maze. Certain places were marked with different colors: red, blue and two separate spots marked with silver in one place and gold in another. Those same places has short notes written near them in corresponding color, but it was a language he had never seen.

_ What does it say? _

Erinda took a closer look, then straightened.

“It looks like Aramaic. An old Hebrew language. I know the demons integrated many different languages into their own, and Aramaic was extremely influential.”

_ Can you read it? _

“Bits and pieces. Leoti would have been better, though.”

The room fell silent at this. There was nothing more to say to that.

“I can use my translator,” Chantilly said. “It's pretty good for most world languages.”

“Let's go for it,” Ichigo said.

Chantilly whipped out a small device and held it over the map. A thin red light spread out and scanned the whole map. Chantilly hit a button and smiled.

“There we go. The whole thing is in here. So when we go, we don't have to bring that big map.”

Kish noticed she said 'when' and not 'if.'

“So what's it say?” Tanya said.

Chantilly stared at her tiny screen for a moment, holding her tongue out in concentration.

“It's a space bend,” she finally said. “Meaning, it's right on top of us, but in another place.”

“That makes no sense,” Mint said.

“It's just a dimension layered on top of our own, synthetically created,” Chantilly said. “You have to slip into it to actually get there. The rest of the notes say...”

She paused.

“It looks like they're spelled. They won't translate until we get there, I think.”

“So what are we waiting for?” Ichigo said. “I think we should check it out.”

“I agree,” said Lettuce.

“Let's go nanoda!” Pudding said. “Uh, how do we get there nanoda?”

Chantilly pointed at the map.

“That's the key, as far as I can tell.”

There was a slight pause. Mairead turned to Kish.

“Kish...how – ”

She stopped, unable to continue. But Kish didn't notice – he was focusing. With some effort, he drew the wind around him and painstakingly lifted himself up in the pocket of air.

_ That should do it. I can't fight though; it's taking all my energy to hold myself up. _

Mairead looked worried, and seemed on the verge of telling him to stay behind, but Kish wouldn't have any of it.

_ I'm going. You can't stop me. _

“What if I can't protect you?”

_ I believe in you. _

Mairead swallowed, then nodded. Kish was glad he hadn't woken up his parents – they would have forced him to stay behind. And though he hadn't told anyone about it, he was clinging onto the hope of being cured. Yuuto had only said it  _ might  _ work, but Kish was willing to take that chance.

He was going to be able to fight again.


	43. Shinumaze - Yuuto's Game

The first thing Kish realized was that several of their group had vanished. Only Mairead, Orla, Kendra and Tanya were with him. The mews, Erinda, Chantilly, Taruto and Pai were gone.

_ Where did they go?  _ He thought at Mairead.

Mairead looked nervously around.

“I don't know,” she said. “And what's with this landscape?”

Kish looked around as much as the wind that carried him would let him. He felt limp and heavy, and it was already starting to get hard to hold himself up on the wind. A long meadow of sea green grass waved gently in the breezes he was creating. Not a single flower grew among the grasses, and the whole meadow was much too uniform in length.

To the right Kish could make out the faint stain of trees, and straight ahead a long line of foggy mountains rose into the sky.

_ This is weird. It's too quiet. _

“Definitely,” Orla said. “Not a single bird. Not even a hawk moving about.”

Kish's head lolled over, and he stubbornly picked it up straight with a breeze. He would manage this if it killed him.

_ We've got to find the others. I'm going to contact Taruto. Mairead, can you see if you can reach Chantilly? Orla, check for your father and Kendra and Tanya, try to contact Chantilly or Erinda. _

They all nodded and assumed the far off look of someone trying to use telepathy.

_ Taruto? Taruto, can you hear me? Come on, Taruto. _

It was no use. Kish couldn't even feel his friend. It quickly became apparent by the looks on the other's faces that they had been just as unsuccessful.

_ Okay, new plan. Let's try to see if there's anyone else out here. _

They had barely walked a few paces when Orla stopped and pointed.

“Hey, what's that?” she said.

Kish let his wind push him to face that direction. There appeared to be a book, hovering over the ground with a slight glow around its pages.

“Should we check it out?” Kendra said.

“Could be a trap,” Orla said.

_ Let's go. _

They moved slowly towards the strange object. Kendra got there first and bent over to peer at the pages.

“What's it say?” Orla said.

“Nothing,” Kendra said. “Wait. There's something there now.”

She squinted her violet eyes.

“Um, it says 'Stage.' Under that it says 'Press for information.'”

The group exchanged glances. Before anyone could say anything, Orla touched the words quickly, then jerked away as though it would snap at her fingers.

The book flashed once, blinding Kish for a moment. When he blinked the light from his eyes, there was a fuzzy image of Yuuto, like a hologram. He didn't quite look at any of them, as though he was merely a recording.

“Stage one of  _ Shinumaze,  _ beginning. Meadow field, level three. Continue north.”

Then he was gone.

“What in the name of Blue?” Orla said.

An uneasy feeling settled over them.

“Let's walk towards the woods,” Mairead suggested. “I mean, we've got to find the others, and standing here won't do that. Plus, they're north, right?”

“Good plan,” Orla said.

But for Kish, that only increased his uncertainty. Something was very wrong here. Very wrong indeed.

* * *

_ Ichigo _

“Ew!” Ichigo squealed, pulling her feet from the ankle deep mud. Her shoes were already full of grime, and she could feel the wetness seeping through her socks.

The mews stood in a huddle at the center of what appeared to be miles and miles of marsh. Water stood in stagnant pools around small areas of short, tough grass and ankle deep mud. It smelled of rotten eggs and skunks. But nothing was so terrifying as the silence.

“This is disgusting!” Mint said, wrinkling her nose. “Where on earth are we?”

“Not on earth,” Zakuro said matter-of-factly. “Where did everyone else go?”

“Where's Tar-Tar nanoda?” Pudding said, looking upset.

Lettuce shivered, hugging herself.

“It's cold,” she said.

Ichigo was just starting to notice this herself, and she wished she had not worn a short sleeve shirt and a skirt. Sweaters and pants would have been appropriate for this.

“So what happened?” she said.

Zakuro shook her head.

“I have no idea. We just have to go with it.”

The tall girl's piercing dark eyes scanned the horizon.

“Look. A forest. That look as good a choice as any.”

Ichigo could just barely see the tips of trees in the distance. She sneezed and thought that maybe the forest would be a bit warmer.

“Okay, let's go,” she said.

But she had hardly taken a step when Lettuce went stock still, staring at something. Then she burst forward, knocking into Ichigo and Mint. All three of them splattered into the mud as a giant tentacle shot from the lake and went over their heads. Zakuro and Pudding were just barely missed, and the tentacle shot back. Lettuce jumped up, pulling Ichigo with her and then running to help up Mint.

The previously stagnant water was starting to bubble and writhe. Tentacles broke through, along with a giant, spider like head with a big round mouth filled with thousands of teeth.

“What is that?” Mint shrieked.

“Transform NOW!” Ichigo shouted.

In a flash, all five girls had transformed. Zakuro was already streaking towards it, weapon in hand. Her whip slashed out, slicing through three tentacles and leaving them twitching on the ground.

“Go Zakuro!” Ichigo said.

“Nice job oneesama!” Mint said.

But no sooner had the words left their mouth when two more tentacles sprouted from where the others had been. One shot out, faster than before and snagged Pudding. The little girl was dragged through the air, eyes wide with terror.

“PUDDING!” Ichigo screamed.

* * *

_ Taruto _

Taruto ducked under a barrage of arrows and ducked behind a tree.

“What the heck is going on?” he said.

Pai joined him, a tense expression on his face.

“I don't know. Either way, we're under attack, and they're shooting to kill.”

Taruto slid the Kyalda Key into his hand.

“So we fight back, right?”

“Certainly. When you're ready.”

“Kyalda Vine, Metamorphoses!”

Taruto transformed, fanning out his wings.

“We got a plan?” he said.

Pai smiled sarcastically.

“Not much time for one. Tactics rather than strategy in this instance.”

“Which, translated, means wing it?”

“Yes.”

Taruto didn't waste anymore time. He grabbed the trunk of the tree that was their shelter and shimmied into the branches. Once nestled in the branches, he called up his twin daggers. Their attackers appeared to be made up of three groups of five – all of them tiny and vicious looking. Had to be goblins. The first group was made up of archers, which was Taruto's main concern right now.

He thrust his dagger forward and it lodged in the ground right in the middle of the archers. They stopped in the middle of what they were doing and turned to look at the quivering weapon, then slowly followed it up towards the tree and back to the dagger. Wow, fast thinkers, weren't they?

“Ribbon Vine Strike!”

The vines burst from the ground where the dagger landed, and instantly the goblin archers were snared. Pai appeared to have been watching, because that was when he darted out, sword in hand. He took on the next group of goblins – spear men – quite easily. The last group was mounted on some nasty looking pigs, and they were more than strong enough to take on Pai. Taruto fell from the tree and flashed forward. 

One goblin archer was struggling free, and before Taruto knew it, he had thrown his other dagger at the goblin's head. The knife sunk in and the goblin went limp before vanishing. Taruto's stomach lurched, realizing that he had just killed something. He swallowed past the bile in his throat and picked up his daggers to come to Pai's aid.

The older Cyniclon didn't seem too fazed about killing. Already the entire brigade of spear men had vanished, and two riders were gone. Taruto blocked the strike of one mounted warrior and pushed off into the air to avoid the pig charging him. He threw his knife and the metal sunk into the warrior's shoulder. Instantly both rider and mount vanished, and Taruto retrieved his dagger.

This was rather like a video game, he thought. Nobody was actually dying – they just vanished. He swallowed, thinking that he'd rather not find out what would happen to him if he got stabbed.

Pai finished the last rider and the clearing went silent.

“That was easy,” Taruto said. 

“A little too easy,” Pai said, eyes narrowed.

A voice suddenly filled the clearing and both Cyniclons tensed. It sounded like Yuuto, but also like a programmed voice.

“Forest, stage one clear. Continue to next stage.”

It was exactly like a video game, wasn't it?

A light appeared in the corner of the clearing and opened like a door. There appeared to be a marsh out there – it looked kind of disgusting, actually.

“Should we go?” Taruto said.

Pai looked suspicious.

“I don't trust this at all,” he said. “Let's go someplace else before – ”

Then there was a high-pitched scream and Taruto's blood ran cold.

“PUDDING!” he shouted, barreling through the door before Pai could stop him.

* * *

_ Yuuto _

Ren was not happy about this. Not happy at all. Actually, that was an understatement – Ren was totally furious.

“Yuuto, this is the dumbest idea you've EVER come up with,” he said, glaring at his oblivious friend. “Yuuto, real life Shinumaze was outlawed years ago for a reason. If I had know this was why you wanted that space bending spell – dammit, Yuuto! They'll all die!”

Yuuto pretended not to hear him, but he knew Ren was right. This was a rather dumb idea. Shinumaze: a game of soldiers facing each other in combat. Kolora and Ren had been playing it before. But the board game was based of fa real life competition that the demons used to do. Clearing different stages, or fields, resulted in gaining something. The tests got harder, until you reached the end. And you could die. Many people had, in the old days.

Ren's furious gaze was starting to get to Yuuto. He sighed.

“Ren, this is the only chance,” he said. “The mews and the Kyaldians have to be much, much stronger than they are now. This is the only way to get them to that level.”

“Or they'll die and we'll have betrayed Deep Blue for nothing,” Ren said.

“I have to take the chance! Ren, I told you already –”

He lowered his voice to a whisper.

“ _ She's  _ involved. Azulda. We don't have time to waste on this.”

Ren shuddered involuntarily at the sound of the old goddess' name.

“I don't see how this is going to help them,” he said grudgingly.

“Simple. After clearing the game, you gain something. That was the main lure of the games before.”

“But what are they going to gain?”

Yuuto paused for a moment.

“Taruto's weapon never upgraded, when he got the Kyalda Key. The others did some time after activating a piece of Kyalda. But Taruto didn't. He might get the extra weapon he needs.

“And it's quite possible that Kish will regain the use of his body. If this is going to ever work out in our favor, Kish's gotta be able to move.”

“And the others?” Ren said testily. “What do they get?”

“I don't know yet,” Yuuto admitted. “Trust me, I didn't want to do this any more than you.”

There was a flash of fear in Ren's angry expression, and Yuuto was surprised. Ren was actually worried. For what? Or for  _ who _ ?

Yuuto himself was worried. Most of the competitors in the early Shinumaze died by stage two. By the time the whole three stage game was completed, usually there were only one to three people left. And those were the super powerful demons competing for the title of Prince. They were not Cyniclons and humans with little to no actual training.

What would he do with himself if they died?

What if it was Tanya?

* * *

_ Kish _

The river flowed past, a sparkling aquamarine line that wove in and out of sparse linings of trees. About thirty feet across, normally Kish wouldn't have worried.

But the smell – that was something else entirely.

Thick tendrils of lilac and lily scents wafted from the surface of the otherwise normal looking river. It was enough to make Kish gag.

“What's wrong with this river?” Orla said, holding her nose.

“It's kind of scaring me,” Tanya said. “Can we go the other way?”

_ The forest is on the other side. We can just fly across. _

“Be careful,” Mairead said, moving to stand next to him.

Kendra went first. About halfway across, she dipped dangerously close to it, a shocked expression on her face. But she struggled upwards again and made it to the other side.

“Kendra, what happened?” Mairead called across.

Kendra shouted back, but Kish could hear her.

_ What did she say? _

“I didn't hear,” Mairead said. “Louder! We can't hear!”

Kendra cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted. Or at least, Kish thought she did: he could see her mouth moving, but not a word came out.

“It's gotta be a spell,” Orla said. “Come on, she made it all right. Let's go.”

Kish pulled the wind under him and lifted a tad higher into the sky.

_ Let's all stay close. Together now. _

Mairead shifted closer to him before the started across. The scent of lilies was overpowering here, and Kish could barely breathe. He concentrated on moving himself across, his breezes the only thing between him and putrid smelling water.

His eye caught a movement across the river – Kendra seemed to be shouting herself hoarse, waving her arms around. Kish squinted trying to read her lips. It was almost as though she was telling them to go back – 

Suddenly his winds completely vanished from underneath him. He plunged into the water and sank like a stone. The currents were faster than they had appeared, and he couldn't move a muscle to push himself up to the surface. He had barely had time to take a breath, and his air was quickly leaving him in bubbles. His magic refused to work as the river pulled him farther and farther through the current.

Just when the last of his air went up in bubbles, a hand snagged his wrist with a grip of iron and yanked him onto shore. He lay on the ground coughing but unable to push himself up. Kendra's face looked down at him, eyes wide with fear.

“Are you okay? What happened?”

_ Lost control of my magic. I don't know what –  _

Shouts caught his attention. It sounded like Mairead and Kendra, but Kendra was right here – 

Kendra's violet eyes turned blue and pupil-less, and she grinned at him with a row of sharp pointed teeth. Then the strange creature shoved Kish back under the water, holding him down at the bottom of river. There was nothing he could do but lay there – completely helpless as the creature drove the air from his lungs.

The water distorted everything above it – even the clouds were strange shapes. Kish watched his air run away from him in bubbles.

D'Arvit – why did he have to be paralyzed? He could have defeated this thing without any help before. Now he was going to die because he couldn't defend himself. D'Arvit.

The water rippled next to his face, and for a split second, he saw a young girl looking at him. Her long amber brown hair was unmoving although they were underwater, and her fierce hazel eyes pierced into him.

_ “Stop wallowing in self-pity and get yourself out of here!” _

But I can't move, he wanted to say.

_ “No excuses! You're the leader, figure something out!” _

Then she was gone and Kish felt his lungs start to burn. D'Arvit, she was right. He didn't have the time to feel sorry for himself!

There wasn't any air underwater, but there certainly was above it. Kish reached out, feeling the wind skip just out of reach. He pushed harder – it was the smell, he thought suddenly. The scent was blocking their magic – that was why he had fallen into the water halfway across!

Well, that wouldn't work if the smell was so dispersed that no one could smell it, right? He pulled at the wind just outside the reach of the scent and urged it forward.

_ Blow! Come on, blow for all your worth! _

And the wind responded, whipping up into a massive storm that hit the river full on. Most of the water was flung into the growing whirlwind, and the water level sank rapidly all around him. The creature holding him down was drawn into the storm with a shriek, Kish following quickly after. His limbs flopped around uselessly in the windstorm, and the winds were so far gone that he couldn't control it anymore. Squeezing his eyes shut, he braced himself for the impact on the ground.

But he hadn't counted on Mairead.

The Cyniclon girl had already transformed into Blue Nymph, braving the winds to snag Kish from the air and land in a bubble of water before touching the ground gently. The winds were so strong she fell on top of him, and she clung onto him, unwilling to let him be scooped up again.

After what felt like an eternity, the wind died down. A faint tendril of lily scent remained, but a breeze quickly blew it away. Already the river was at a fourth of its original level. But though it grew calm quite quickly, neither Mairead nor Kish moved. They lay beside each other, trembling slightly. Mairead giggled with exhaustion. Kish laughed a bit himself.

“Mairead! Kish!”

Orla, Kendra and Tanya ran over to them.

“Kish-oniichan! I thought – I thought you drowned!” Tanya said, eyes wide with fright.

“There was like an army of those weird lizardy shape shifter things,” Kendra said. “They came out just as you went under, and we couldn't get over there.”

“Are you two okay?” Orla said, her swords soaked in silvery blood with the nauseating smell of lilies. “I thought you guys were dead!”

“Not quite,” Kish said, laughing.

Then he blinked. Mairead sat up, staring at him.

“Kish, you just talked out loud,” she said.

A strange aching pain was spreading from his chest down to the tips of his fingers. He bent his fingers experimentally, and found that he could move them. Slowly, and with much discomfort, he moved his arms and pushed himself to a sitting position. Everything from his torso up was tingling strangely, as though it had been asleep.

“Kish, you can move!!” Orla said.

“Gods,” Kendra whispered, eyes wide. “Hailie said you wouldn't move!”

Kish flexed his arm a couple of times, trying to get rid of the tinglies. Already he could feel himself lightening inside.

“I'm back to normal!”

He tried to stand up and instantly fell back down. Come to think of it, he still couldn't feel his legs...

“Or most of the way,” Kish said, not too upset. “Whatever we did must have done something!”

Mairead hugged him, nearly knocking him over.

“Kish, this is great!” she said.

“Yay oniichan!” Tanya said.

“Um, hate to burst the happy bubble, but there's a strange door over there,” Orla said, pointing.

Kish turned, still unable to stop feeling happy about being able to turn himself around in the first place.

There definitely was a door there, or a door shaped thing that was showing an entirely different view. An image flickered into view next to the door. Tanya yelped.

“Yuuto-kun!”

She ran over to him, but the image flickered, like the previous image and she went right through. The image of Yuuto didn't seem to be looking at any of them.

“Stage one completed. Move on to next stage.”

Then his imaged flickered away, and the door stood there ominously.

“Um, stage?” Kendra said. “What does that mean, anyway? Like the levels in a video game?”

The words hung in the air, and Kish slowly deflated. If this had only been stage one, then what was stage two?

* * *

_ Ichigo _

“PUDDING!” Ichigo screamed.

The little girl was wrapped tightly in the sea monster's tentacle – already her face was starting to turn blue. The kraken-like creature screeched, showing off rows and rows of razor sharp teeth.

“Ribbon Zakuro Spear!”

The glowing purple weapon sliced through the tentacle and Pudding tumbled into Zakuro's arms, gasping for breath. Instantly two more tentacles grew from the severed stump, and Zakuro clutched Pudding tightly to her as she dodged.

“We can't keep attacking the tentacles!” the older girl shouted.

What else could they possibly do? Ichigo thought frantically. The tentacles were a no go – maybe the eyes! If they could blind it, they'd have that much of an advantage!

“Mint! Aim for the eyes!”

Mint needed no more encouragement. She shot into the air, dodging tentacles until she got just out of range. Drawing energy into her bow, she released the pink bolt. It shot lightning fast past the writhing tentacles and into the water with a splash. Mint shot again – this one hit the tip of a tentacle. She drew a third bolt to her bow and let it fly.

This one hit squarely in the eye with a sickening squelch. Mint drew a final bolt and struck the other eye, and the creature screeched with pain and rage.

“Yes!”

Ichigo punched the air – now they could do some damage!

But it wasn't to be. Angered by the pain in its eye, the kraken thrashed about wildly, blindly whipping around it. Zakuro took a hit to the stomach and went flying across the marsh. Lettuce dropped to the ground and was swept into a pool, vanishing under the murky water. Pudding, still recovering, was swept up by a tentacle and flung into a pit of mud, and Mint was smacked from the air and came tumbling down on the one patch of hard earth.

Ichigo leaped over a tentacle and ducked under the next – what now? What could they strike at? How would they win? Eyes, head, tentacles – anything they could throw at it would only damage it enough to make it angry!

Suddenly a thick, slimy tentacle snagged her from behind and instantly emptied her lungs of air. Suckers plastered to her arm and pinched. Already spots were forming in her vision, and her lungs screamed for air.

The creature's mouth gaped open, blasting her with its foul smelling breath. She could already see herself tumbling into that cave of teeth – 

Wait – that was it!!

The tentacle dropped her, and she hurtled towards the creatures open mouth. She sucked in air, trying to fill her lungs enough to call her weapon – she wouldn't have enough air in time!

“Strawberry Bell,” she hissed through her compressed lungs.

The weapon flashed in her fingers – she was already nearing the first set of teeth. Everything was slowing down.

“RIBBON STRAWBERRY SURPRISE!!”

Energy burst into a furious wave, surging into the gaping mouth. Then Ichigo was plunged into the warm, murky green water, so disoriented that she couldn't figure out which way was up. The water tossed her this way and that as the dying sea monster writhed. Already the dark stain of blood was filling the water, and Ichigo struggled to find the surface.

Just when she thought she could hold her breath no longer, a glowing hand grasped her wrist and yanked her toward air. The pink mew gasped, drawing air into her lungs. Lettuce surfaced beside her, glowing with the pale blue light of Mew Aqua.

“Thank – you – Lettuce,” Ichigo gasped.

“Here, lean on me,” the green mew said. “Don't struggle so much – I'll hold you above the water.”

Ichigo relaxed as Lettuce gently bore her to the swampy shore. As soon as Ichigo had pulled herself up into the mud, she threw up the meager contents of her stomach.

“Ugh,” she groaned, flopping down. She was too tired to care much about the mud in her hair. “Lettuce, where did you find Mew Aqua?”

“I didn't,” Lettuce said, a perplexed look on her face.

She pulled herself out of the water and her glowing fish's tail reverted to a regular pair of legs.

“It was weird. When the creature threw me into the pool, I was so disoriented from the darkness. But the water was...I don't know. Welcoming almost. There was no malice, under there.”

She paused, her brow furrowing.

“Then I just knew I could do it. And I turned into a mermaid without Mew Aqua.”

Ichigo heaved in her breaths, trying to follow along but being much too tired to do so.

“That's really weird,” she said. “Where is everyone else?”

“They're coming to, for the most part. Everyone's really tired, Pudding especially. I hope we can find the others and get out of here soon.”

“Yeah...”

Then a voice broke through the clouds and startled Ichigo to a sitting position.

“Marsh stage one, complete,” Yuuto's voice said expressionlessly, like a recorded voice. “Move on to next stage.”

Then there was a door shaped space opening in front of them, showing a beautiful flower-dotted meadow with a crystalline lake in the distance. Ichigo and Lettuce exchanged glances, and for a moment, Ichigo was almost sure they were thinking the same thing.

If one kraken had been in a small, stagnant pool, what was going to be in that lake?


	44. The Second Stage - Getting Deeper

_ Kish _

Kish leaned heavily on Mairead, stumbling along on his mostly useless legs.

“Sorry about this,” he said.

“Just heal soon,” Mairead said. “And stop apologizing.”

“Out of curiosity, can't you fly?” Orla asked.

“No, actually. I haven't read much about it, but the theory is that our power to fly lies in some combination of muscles and glands in the legs, so my paralysis would –”

“No science lectures, thanks,” Orla said quickly. “A simple 'no' would have worked fine.”

Kendra laughed, and Kish grinned over his shoulder at Orla. The grin faded quickly, though, as the silence of the canyons around them sunk in. It was starting to unnerve Kish, and the others seemed just as affected – everyone looked tense despite their laughter.

“I wonder what this stage will be?” Tanya said. “Another monster?”

“Probably, and probably stronger than last time,” Orla grumbled.

The mood didn't get any better as they continued in the long, unending corridor of stone. Suddenly, the canyon branched in two different directions.

“Should we split up?” Tanya asked, looking both ways as if she were about to cross the street.

“No way,” Kish said. “That's too dangerous – we'll stick together.”

“Well then, which way?”

Kish chewed on his lip, glancing down both corridors. The sun seemed to be moving much faster than it did back home, and it was already directly above them. Sweat was starting to drip down his brow.

“Someone should fly up and check this place out. How far it goes, and that kind of thing. We may find that flying out will be better.”

“I'll go,” Orla said before anyone else could speak.

She darted into the air. But just before she could peek over the top of the walls, they suddenly seemed a bit higher. A perplexed look on her face, Orla shot higher. But the walls were there again, just barely above her head. She zoomed up as fast as she could, and either the walls seemed higher, or she seemed not to move at all. Finally, she dropped back down and collapsed, sweating enough to fill a lake.

“No – use,” she panted. “Won't – let me – see.”

“D'Arvit,” Kish swore.

“I think that gives us our objective,” Mairead said suddenly.

The group turned to look at her.

“Well it's obvious, isn't it?” she said. “We have to find our way through. That's why the most obvious course of action is blocked off.”

The gravity of this took a moment to settle.

“So we have to find our way through a maze to an unknown location, not even knowing whether to go left or right, and having no clues whatsoever?” Kendra said. “Huh. They sure don't make them easy.”

“We'll have to come up with a plan,” Orla said.

All eyes turned to Kish involuntarily. He was already wracking his brains for a solution, trying to come up with something, anything!

But nothing came. His mind was blank.

This could be difficult.

* * *

_ Taruto _

Taruto charged blindly into the marsh, looked around wildly to find the source of Pudding's scream.

“Taruto! Wait – we can't rush blindly –”

Pai's words were completely wiped away from Taruto's mind the moment he heard the second scream.

“Pudding!! I'm coming!”

He charged across the marsh, hurtling headlong through the mud and mire. Pai's voice was lost.

Suddenly, Taruto caught a glimpse of something yellow in her peripheral. He skidded to a stop, whipping around to see it. There was Pudding – she was standing on a rock in the middle of a stagnant pool and shivering as she stared into the water.

“Pudding!”

Pudding looked up with frightened eyes, which quickly became relieved.

“Tar-Tar,” she said. “Where were you?”

Something seemed wrong for a moment, but Taruto brushed it off.

“We got separated. What's wrong?”

She shuddered.

“There's something in the water, Tar-Tar. It dragged me under and and only barely got away, and now I'm stuck.”

It seemed weird that Pudding would be stuck on a rock only a little way from shore, especially considering her acrobatic skills. But Taruto attributed it to shock and fear and carefully hovered across the water towards her.

“Okay, here. I'll carry you back across. Careful, don't slip in. We can't make too much commotion or whatever attacked you might see us.”

Pudding clutched onto him gratefully, and air pushed out of his lungs. Wow, she had a tight grip!

Awkwardly, he hovered back to the shore and touched down, setting a trembling Pudding gently on the driest part of the ground he could.

“There. You're okay now.”

Pudding sobbed and hugged him, once more squeezing the air out of him.

“I was so scared, Tar-Tar! Thank you so much for saving me!”

Suddenly, Taruto knew what was wrong. The sentences were all wrong – Pudding would have said, “Pudding was so scared, Tar-Tar! Thank you so much for saving Pudding nanoda!” Pudding hardly ever talked in first person – and what had happened to her 'nanoda'?

Pudding's grip tightened suddenly. A cold shiver ran down Taruto's back.

“Pudding. Can you let go, please?”

“No, Tar-Tar. I'm too scared.”

“Pudding, let go. Now.”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Pudding, you –”

Suddenly she was gone and an arm was tightly around her throat, cutting off his air.

“Shush, Tar-Tar,” she whispered.

“P-Pudding – why –”

That was all he got out before he was plunged underwater, a pair of small hands holding him down.

What was wrong with Pudding?

* * *

_ Ichigo _

Pudding was tugging on Ichigo's skirt repeatedly.

“Pudding, what is wrong?” Ichigo said irritably.

“Something's wrong nanoda,” she whispered. “Pudding feels funny nanoda.”

Ichigo sighed.

“Everyone does, Pudding. This lake is really creepy.”

Though it was much brighter and livelier in terms of color and plant life compared to the marsh, they both had the same silence and lack of wind. The grass stood completely still, and no ripples broke the glassy stillness of the lake.

“No, Pudding thinks that Tar-Tar needs help nanoda!” Pudding insisted.

“We can't find anyone right now, so let's just – try to finish this stage so we can go home!”

Ichigo took a few steps forward, trying to get a feel for their surroundings.

“So what will this stage be?” Mint said. “Another kraken? Or two?”

“Lighten up, Mint,” Ichigo grumbled. “Maybe this one will be easier.”

“Stage two be easier than one? Honestly, Ichigo. Haven't you ever seen a video game?”

“Um, Miwa showed me her brother's Pokemon game once,” Ichigo said.

“Ugh.”

“Come on, Mint! You've never played video games either!”

“Well, my brother used to, so at least I've seen them!”

“I like video games,” Zakuro said suddenly, almost involuntarily. “Legend of Zelda was my favorite.”

There was a rather awkward pause.

“Okay, let's go check out the lake,” Ichigo said. “Everyone, stay transformed and ready to go.”

They carefully made their way through the stillness of the grass towards the lake. Every sense Ichigo had was going crazy, telling her to stay away from the water, get away from it as quickly as possible and go home. But could she even get home without beating this game?

They had only gone a few paces when Pudding suddenly dropped to the ground.

“Pudding? Pudding, what's wrong?”

The little girl was crying silently on her knees, her eyes suddenly looking dull and empty.

“It's no use nanoda,” she said. “We can't win this. Tar-Tar's hurting and Pudding can't even do anything. There's no point anymore, nanoda.”

“Don't say that Pudding! We can still do this!” Ichigo said. “Just get up and keep moving! We've never lost before!”

Pudding shook her head, rubbing at her eyes.

“No, oneechan. We lost this time, nanoda.”

“We haven't yet!!”

Suddenly, Mint was on the ground too.

“Pudding's right,” she said. “We barely made it through stage one alive. This one it's likely we can't beat, and even if we do, who knows how many are coming after?”

“Don't you start, Mint!” Ichigo said. “I know it's gonna be tough, but we can still do this!”

Ichigo was starting to panic. What was wrong with them? Even her own words were starting to sound hollow to her. Could they really do this, anyway? It seemed like she had always needed the Kyaldians' help lately to do anything. Blue Knight saved her from everything she couldn't handle, and then Kish took everything else. What use was she?

She ordered such thoughts from her mind, but it seemed that Lettuce was affected now too, crying softly and mumbling something about her family. Even Zakuro was trembling now, a sight that truly made Ichigo terrified. The older girl had tears forming in the corners of her eyes, and she was muttering something about not being able to protect someone, so how could she protect everyone else?

“Stop it guys!” Ichigo said desperately. “Stop it! What's wrong with you? Think about everything we've gotten through so far! Do you want to give up after spending so long defending the Earth? We can't just...give...up...”

She was fighting a losing battle with herself. The whispers were running through her mind.

_ You're useless. _

_ You can't do anything without help. _

_ Look at you, the great leader of the mew mews. You can't even find the rest of your friends. _

_ You don't have any magical powers like Kish. Even Tanya's stronger than you. _

_ Is there even a point to trying when things just keep getting harder? _

Ichigo sobbed a little and fell slowly, slowly to the ground in defeat.

* * *

_ Kish _

“Okay, let's think about our options,” Kish said.

The sweat started to get in his eyes, and he leaned against Mairead as he attempted to wipe it from his face. Still, his arm felt rather limp and hard to control, despite his recent healing.

“Does anyone have a navigation spell? Anything at all?”

The group quieted for a moment in thought. Just when the heat threatened to fry his brain so that he could no longer think, Orla spoke up.

“If I had a full moon, I could create a star navigation spell.”

“Well, we don't have a full moon,” Kish said, trying to ignore the heat. “Any other ideas?”

“Let me finish! I might be able to get a full moon.”

Mairead's eyes brightened.

“Oh right! Back when we had to get to earth, you created a full moon for one night.”

“I didn't  _ create  _ a full moon. I asked the moon wraiths to help out and create an artificial moon. I'm gonna see if I can do that again.”

“Go for it,” Kish said. “I just want to get out of this heat as soon as possible.”

Orla closed her eyes, brow furrowed. A long two minutes passed, ticking by as slow as the drops of a leaky faucet. Suddenly her silver eyes flew open, bright and wild with some emotion that Kish couldn't understand. She started to scream, her body collapsing to the ground and beginning to convulse.

“Orla!! Orla!!!”

Kish tumbled to the ground on his useless legs when he tried to come forward. Mairead already knelt at the girl's side as Kish pushed himself on his hands.

“What's happening to her?” he said. “What's happening?!”

“She's going to bite her tongue off!” Mairead said frantically.

Tanya stood frozen, eyes wide with terror. Mairead's hands grasped at Orla's shoulders, unhelpfully trying to shake her out of it. In the end, Kendra acted first. The older girl darted forward with flashing purple eyes and jammed her finger in between Orla's teeth. The sharp pointed teeth punctured the flesh instantly, and Kish winced in sympathetic pain.

“Mairead, hold her head down,” Kendra said through teeth gritted with pain. “Tanya, drag Kish over here so he can help to hold her arms. She's going to hurt herself if we let her go like this.”

Kish pushed himself as much as he could, trying to help Tanya move him across the ground. Together, they held Orla steady. After what felt like hours but must have only been minutes, Orla's muffled cries quieted and she slowly, slowly lay still.

Kendra extracted her bleeding finger from the girl's mouth, looking shaken. They all stood silently for a long moment.

“Kendra, we've got to wrap that finger,” Mairead said tentatively. “I have a handkerchief – we can use that.”

Kendra silently allowed Mairead to bind her finger.

“Good job, Kendra,” Kish said. “Acting so quickly.”

She shrugged.

“Been thinking about going into nursing. The first aid stuff just came automatically.”

Orla's eyes fluttered suddenly. Sparkling silver peered out from her alabaster face.

“What just happened?...” she said.

“We were hoping you could tell us,” Kish said.

Orla swallowed and closed her eyes again.

“Too far away, I guess,” she mumbled. “The spirit realm. yokai realm is closer. So many –”

She shuddered.

“Terrible things,” she said.

She would say nothing more. Kendra was the one who helped a shaky Orla to her feet and supported her.

“Next plan?” she said, not looking at anyone.

Kish's spirits were starting to sink as well.

“Wait!” Tanya said. “I remember now! There was a navigation spell in my little crystal book!”

“Your little what?” Kish asked.

Tanya paid no attention, her little nose wrinkled in concentration.

“Right, that was it!” she said excitedly. “ _ Hari hiroimino – Taruto! _ ”

A bright blue light flashed from her. For a moment, Kish thought he saw a long pale blue line in the air, going off down the corridor. Then it vanished. He turned to look at Tanya with her eyes firmly closed. Then they were open again and she smiled.

“That way!” she said. “That's the way Taruto is!”

“How do you – never mind. I won't ask.”

Mairead helped Kish up and they slowly, painstakingly made their way down the corridor. Tanya kept running ahead, then coming back with an anxious look, then running ahead again. The trembling Orla couldn't go very fast, even with Kendra's help, and Kish wasn't much faster with his paralyzed lower body.

The corridors went two directions again and Tanya chose right. The followed that for a while, then suddenly hit a dead end. Tanya looked around with shock and confusion.

“But the line points this way!!” she said. “The spell was for mazes, too!”

Suddenly, her eyes filled with tears.

“Oh no!” she said. “I used the wrong words! I wanted to find Taruto, not the way out of the maze, and it gave me a straight line to him! But I can't remember the words for the maze!”

She plopped onto her bottom and started to cry. The heat had become more oppressive than before, bearing down on the group with savage intentions. Kendra helped Orla to lean against the wall and turned to face the corridor, her eyes flashing with rage.

“D'Arving Blue!!” she swore. “This D'Arving maze is going to kill all of us – we should have done this in the first place!!”

The few shadows that populated the sunlit canyon started to swell and bulge, skittered across the floor to Kendra and swirling up and around her. Mairead pulled Kish to the far edge of the corridor, then grabbed Tanya by the collar and pulled her over too.

“Kendra's done this before, back in third grade,” she said nervously. “You were sick that day. Someone knocked me down by accident, but some other people laughed at me and teased me so much she exploded.”

She bit her lip.

“Best to stay out of the way when she's like this,” she said.

The shadows grew and grew around her until Kish couldn't see her anymore. Mairead was right – it was a good idea to get out of Kendra's way when she was angry. Finally, the roiling mass of shadows exploded, rushing the wall in a material form. The world crashed and banged around them, and Tanya fell on top of him in the confusion. Dust and debris filled the air, and it took forever to clear.

When it finally did, Kendra stood at the center of the canyon, heaving breaths with a triumphant look on her face. But when the dust completely settled, the look slowly melted away. Kish stared with disbelief.

For a moment, there had been a large, gaping hole where the canyon wall had been. Two minutes later, the hole disappeared. The wall appeared untouched.

Kendra sank to the ground, defeated. The heat was unbearable now, and Kish couldn't take this much longer. Hot, tired, and frustrated, his friends falling around him with failure, Kish began to feel the beginnings of anger. Kendra was right – this D'Arving maze was going to kill all of them. This wasn't a challenge that could be completed. It had all been a trap by Yuuto, a trap to kill them all off.

_ You happy now?  _ He thought angrily.  _ Are you HAPPY that we're all going to die? _

Then a sudden whisper rushed past his ear.

“Ilka tuk tak, you imbecile. Have you forgotten your element is  _ wind _ ??”

The words made no sense to him, and only made him angrier. He didn't notice the winds starting to gather. Mairead's eyes flashed towards him questioningly, but he didn't notice that either. All of his friends were going to die because of his own idiotic decision to lead them all in here. Because of his selfish wish to be whole and able to move again. They would all die and it would be his fault.

The winds picked up speed. Kendra and Orla were even starting to notice now.

“Oniichan?” Tanya whispered. “Kish-oniichan. What are you doing?”

Kish snapped back to himself and realized the winds picking up all around them. No stopping it now – the air was riled up and raring to go.

“Everybody get down!!” Kish shouted.

Too late – the winds howled through the canyon, threatening to grab anyone caught unawares. Kendra went flying into crazed winds, struggling to keep control over her flight.

“Kendra!” Mairead shouted over the wind.

Kendra shook her head and pointed down to the shaking Orla, shouting something about 'worry about her first.' Then Kendra vanished down the corridor, borne by the crazed winds. Mairead instantly dropped to her belly and started to inch across the ground towards the other side where Orla stood, oblivious to the storm.

“Mairead, NO!”

The winds flung the red headed girl into the air, and she too tumbled down the canyon. Orla went next, having no strength in her legs to grip the ground. Tanya crawled over to Kish and grabbed his arm in a futile attempt to stay steady.

“What happened??” she shouted over the wind.

“I lost control and didn't notice the winds picking up!!” Kish shouted back. “Just hang on!! We'll find the others once it dies down!”

But it didn't seem to want to die down anytime soon. Kish hugged the trembling Tanya tight to him, trying to keep her from the wind's grip. But an extremely large gust burst through the canyon and picked him up, drawing both of them into the storm.

“HANG ON!” he shouted.

Tanya didn't need to be told twice. Already Kish's arm felt numb from her tight grip. They tossed and turned, and once or twice almost slammed into the walls – Kish held his breath each time, knowing that a single strike against the stone from this speed could mean their deaths.

He reached out into the wind, trying to calm it down. It refused to listen, breaking free of his mental probe and roaring along on its way. But where was it trying to go? Kish reached out farther, trying to at least draw his friends back towards him, or him towards his friends.

He could sense them, still buffeted by the winds some ways ahead, tumbling through corridor after corridor. They appeared to be separated, judging by the wind flowing around each of their forms. Then Kish noticed something else – he could sense something else in the wind.

The wind could not roar above the canyon: there, it appeared to be completely silent. So he could feel the air pushing against every stone wall, desperate for escape. Long, twisting trails of wind slowly mapped out in his mind – and he realized that he had a map of the whole labyrinth.

“Tanya! Hang on, this is going to get bumpy!!”

Though he hadn't imagined Tanya could grip any tighter, she certainly did. He winced a bit, then turned his mind to the task ahead. If the wind filled the whole maze, it had to have someplace to escape. Or if they had to make it to the center of the maze, there had to be a large central place. He just had to find it – there!

The wind spilled out through a large hole five corridors down. Kish came back to himself and touched the winds closest to him.

_ You can rage all you want,  _ he thought.  _ But I need you to take me and my friends that way! _

The wind didn't seem to mind those conditions. Instantly, Kish and Tanya flew even higher and faster. They zoom through corridor after corridor, the wind surging them around each turn and curve. Two corridors down, they came across Orla. Kish flung his free arm out and snatched her as they flew along.

Another corridor, and he found Mairead clinging desperately to the cliff. He reached out with a mental shout that caught her attention, and she let go just in time to cling on to their strange little clump. Then the hole loomed in front of them, and Kish flung his mind forward to the calm air outside, stirring it up to cushion their fall on the way down. 

The group dropped gently down onto a meadow of soft green grass and tumbled across the ground. Mairead jumped up and immediately fell down. She pushed herself up and again and looked around worriedly.

“Where's Kendra?” she said. “Where did she go?”

Kish had been thinking the same thing, and he too started to rake the surrounding meadow with his eyes.

“Ugh...over here,” came the voice.

Mairead yelped and tried to stand again, but her legs shook too much. She crawled over to where Kendra had landed, laying among the green grass with a rather amused look on her face.

“That was quite the ride there, Kish,” she said. “Mind telling us next time before you do that?”

They all look at each other and slowly devolved into laughter.

“Stage two completed. Final stage ahead,” said Yuuto's voice.

The door opened and the group exchanged glances.

“Ready to finish this?” Kish asked.

Their expressions were the only answer he needed.

* * *

_ Taruto _

Taruto struggled against Pudding's iron grip, the last of his air going up in bubbles. His head shoved against the disgusting goop of the shallow water, and the murky green liquid seemed to hover around him, just waiting to enter his lungs and drown him. His arms flailed uselessly, splashing in and out of the water. The air he desperately needed floated just out of reach, mere inches of water separating him from it.

_ Great. I'm going to drown in the shallow end of the pond with the girl I love holding me under. _

Pudding had to be under some kind of spell – was this the test? He had to fight Pudding? It Taruto got out of this alive, his first priority was to strangle Yuuto for this.

Just when his lungs threatened to force his mouth open to gasp for air that wasn't even there, Pudding's hands vanished. A tight hand gripped his shoulder and pulled him into the air. He fell, gasping into the mud. His arms trembled, and he realized just how close to death he had gotten.

“Taruto,” Pai panted. “Are you all right?”

“Considering I almost drowned, I think so,” he said. “Where did you go?”

“Just as you went running off, I thought I heard Orla calling for help. I nearly got lost looking for the source, and I thought something was fishy. So I turned back, and found you, half under the water and flailing as though something held you.”

“Something  _ was  _ holding me. Didn't you see – it was Pudding. Something's wrong with her –”

He stopped and looked around. Pudding appeared to have vanished. Pai gave him a puzzled look.

“No one held you, Taruto. At the very least, I saw no one.”

Taruto swallowed, feeling nervous. But just before he could speak, Pai suddenly froze. He started to claw at his neck as though someone was choking him, falling to his knees. Taruto leapt up, his legs shaking beneath him. It must be something he couldn't see, the way Pai couldn't see Pudding! And if he was right, it had to be right – there!

Taruto called up a dagger and flung it through the air. It lodged into something he could not see with a sickening thunk and Pai fell forward, sucking in deep breaths.

Taruto felt like throwing up. His dagger hovered in midair as thick, goopy bloody the color of boogers oozed from an invisible wound. An invisible hand pulled the dagger free and flung it to the ground. Then it appeared to lunge forward, sickly green blood dripping across the ground.

Taruto ducked, but the thing still thrust him to the ground, holding him down. The sickly blood dripped onto his stomach and he figured he must have hit the thing's side. Invisible hands groped for his throat, but he called up another dagger and thrust it forward to what he thought must be its stomach. It somehow dodged the blow and cold, clammy hands latched onto his throat.

Before he could lose much air, Pudding flew through the air, smashing into the invisible thing. She landed on all fours and hissed like an animal, arching her back. Bright fangs appeared in her mouth, and Taruto suddenly had the feeling that this was not simply Pudding under a spell.

“This is  _ my  _ prey,” the not-Pudding hissed. “Stay away!”

Slowly, Taruto's eye made out the outline of a slightly taller girl that looked much like Orla, but it appeared misty and unreal.

“I lost mine, so I'm taking yours,” the not-Orla hissed back.

Both creatures hissed and arched their backs, then launched themselves at each other. Pai hurried over to Taruto and pulled him to his feet.

“What are those?” Taruto asked.

“They must be will 'o the wisps,” Pai said. “Vicious predators that use illusion to snag their prey.”

He seemed tense, brow tightly knit and a bead of sweat running down his brow.

“We have to go  _ now.  _ Where there's one or two wisps, there's bound to be more. We can afford to take on some many at once.”

Taruto wasn't about to argue. But before they could make a move, both wisps stopped fighting each other and turned toward them. They appeared to have come to a consensus of some kind – something, perhaps, like 'let's work together and kill them both and then we can eat them.'

“GO!” Pai shouted.

Taruto shot into the air, just out of reach of Pudding's suddenly taloned fingers. Pai shot after him, pushing him forward faster.

“Wisps can fly! Go, go, go!”

With Pai pushing him, Taruto zoomed through the air. The wisps followed them effortlessly, easily keeping up with their speeds.

“We have to find the edge of their territory! They never leave it!” Pai shouted.

“Why not?”

“I don't know! Research on wisps is limited!!”

The wisps didn't seem to be willing to give up the chase, and Taruto seriously doubted they would stop following no matter how far away they got from their territory. The wisps were picking up speed, and it would only be a matter of time before they caught up. Even with the added strength of Taruto's wings, he would slow soon.

Just when things couldn't get any worse, they did. Something crashed into Taruto and he went tumbling to the ground, landing with a squelch in the mud. The something that hit him landed heavily on his back, driving the air from his lungs and pinning his arms behind him.

“Nummy nummy in my tummy,” the new wisp sang cheerily. Sounded a lot like Tanya, Taruto decided.

Pai crashed into the new wisp and yanked Taruto up.

“We have to keep going before they overwhelm us!”

“Looks like they're doing that already!!”

The new wisp did indeed look like Tanya – albeit a Tanya with tusks, talons and milky white eyes.

“Nummy, nummy,” it said again. “Papa's hungry, hungry.”

“What the heck is it saying?” Taruto said.

“Just go!”

But then the other two wisps landed on either side of them, and fourth wisp in the guise of Hailie (with a beak, hawk eyes and feathers down her arms) appeared out of thin air above them, eying them rather hungrily.

“No running now,” Taruto said, calling up a pair of daggers. “We've gotta fight them.”

“They'll simply increase in numbers! We'll teleport and get out of here.”

“Don't know about you, but I tried teleporting earlier, when the Pudding wisp got me. There's no way to teleport in this place.”

Pai gritted his teeth, and unsheathed his sword.

“This is suicide.”

“This is awesome,” Taruto said, grinning.

He thrust his dagger into the Orla wisp, missing its heart by a few inches. The creature hissed and swiped at his face, but he ducked and slashed its knees, forcing it to the ground. He whirled to block the advance of the Pudding wisp and closed his eyes before stabbing it in the stomach. No matter how alien it looked, stabbing Pudding...

He tried not to look at the creature dripping booger colored blood across the ground, reminding himself that it was  _ not  _ Pudding, but an imitation. Pai used the flat of his sword to knock the Hailie wisp from the sky and kicked the Tanya wisp in the stomach, throwing it across the marsh. He drove his sword through the Hailie wisp, wincing as he did. The creature screeched and Pai turned away. Taruto winced sympathetically – the older alien had the same qualms about fighting these things that looked like family and friends.

But despite the Hailie creature's fatal wound, it still stood, screeching and slashing wildly with its claws. Pai backed away, closed his eyes against the sight and turned to push back the Tanya and Orla wisps.

So he didn't see what Taruto saw. 

Wisp-Hailie fell to the ground, still flailing as though fighting death. Then it went suddenly still – and slowly, a thick black vine that looked rather like rotting meat grew from the ground and straight through the Hailie wisp's stomach wound, as though spearing her. A horrid smell filled the air and Taruto clapped his hands to his nose and mouth, dropping his daggers. Then the vine retracted and the wound was gone.

The wisp flew back to its feet and lunged at Taruto before he knew what was happening. The clacking beak came inches from his face before he dropped to the ground and rolled away. He realized as he looked around that a similar thing was happening all around – every time Pai injured a wisp even faintly, a vine would come from the ground and stab the wound, then retract and the wound would be gone. Pai didn't notice because the vines were so much thinner for less fatal wounds, and Taruto could tell by the shock on his face that he couldn't understand how they kept attacking despite their wounds.

Taruto shot forward and stabbed wisp-Tanya in the back, trying to imagine the creature was simply the horrid smelling black vine. It fell to the ground, and slowly the vine came up to stab her wound. Taruto grabbed for it and it instantly started to flail, attempting to throw off his grip. Wisp-Hailie tried to attack him, but the vine grew farther from the ground, becoming thicker and flailing farther.

Taruto hung on for dear life as the gigantic vine twisted and turned, trying to fling him off. Pai pushed another wisp away and turned, his eyes filling with shock at the sight.

“CUT IT!” Taruto shouted, trying not to throw up.

Pai lunged forward and sliced with all his might. The severed vine fell to the ground and Taruto rolled off, instantly throwing up from a lovely mixture of rotting corpse scent and the wild ride. The disgusting vine twitched on the ground like a lizard's severed tail.

“What was –”

Pai never finished his sentence. All four of the wisps screeched and fell down, dead instantly. They appeared to rot before their eyes, sinking into the ground. Then thousands of black vines burst from the ground like writhing legs.

Pai grabbed Taruto by the collar and shot into the sky. The vines all congregated in a central place and started to dig. Slowly and painstakingly, a huge, tangled mass of vines and roots revealed itself, pushing itself out of the ground on its writhing vines.

Taruto threw up again – the scent was too much. Even Pai looked like he was going to be sick. Like rotting animal corpses, rotted fruit, dragon dung (and that by itself was a strong scent) and just a touch of skunk spray, the smell had to be the worst part of the creature. The second part was probably the fact that the great big vines were flailing all over the place and knocked them out of the sky.

“What is that?” Taruto shouted.

“I have no idea!”

Pai crouched over Taruto, trying to shield him from the vines. The good part was that the creature didn't appear to be able to see. The bad part was that it opened a big huge gaping hole in the center that had to be a mouth and there were thousands upon thousands of wisps inside.

“Something tells me we're kind of screwed,” Taruto said.

But the wisps didn't come out. A few of them ran up to the entrance and peered out. They started to chatter in a strange language, pointing at the pair. The vine creature shifted, and the vines started to converge towards them. Taruto and Pai split, avoiding the giant things.

“How are we getting this thing?” Taruto shouted.

But Pai couldn't hear him, and it was all Taruto could do to avoid the vines himself. This was NOT cool.

They needed a plan and they needed it fast – problem was, Taruto kind of stunk at plans. He failed all his problem solving exams back at school. He needed Pai for ideas – but how to find him in this chaos?

Taruto tumbled to the ground, darting across the marsh towards a pool. He dove in to buy some time. The vines smashed into the water, feeling around, but they didn't have the benefit of the navigational wisps. They slowly retracted.

Taruto surfaced just long enough to draw in air, then dove under again. He was a little worried about the possibility of sea monsters, like the Pudding wisp had said, but he preferred the possibility of death to the certainty of it. Okay, how was he gonna find Pai? Or could he draw enough attention to himself so that Pai could find him? One thing was for sure – he needed to immobilize that thing before it crushed the both of them.

Well, he was pretty sure he could do that much.

Without a second thought or a chance to reconsider, he burst from the water and shot as high as he could. Then he brought out a pair of daggers, and before the vine creature realized he was back, he threw both of them down as hard as he could. One of them struck a flailing vine and plopped into the mud, but the second lodged firmly in the ground.

“Ribbon Vine Strike!!”

His own, healthy looking green vines burst from the contact point, listening eagerly to his instructions and then goings about the task of wrapping themselves around every inch of the creature they could reach. Some of his vines snapped in the effort, but the the creature started to slow in its movements. Pai appeared above the mess, looking around for Taruto.

Taruto whistled and Pai's eyes shot upward.

“Hit it while you've got the chance!” Taruto shouted.

Pai nodded, and his sword returned to his hand. The sky started to darken. More of Taruto's vines started to snap, and he winced with residual pain. The creature was breaking free – there wasn't much time left.

Thunder rolled across the sky. Static electricity filled the air, making Taruto's hair stand on end. The creature wrested free – and lightning coursed from the sky, striking it squarely in its center.

It burst into flames. Pai shot over to Taruto and dragged him out of the way as the flaming vines writhed. The creature was completely spazzing out, trying to escape the flames. But it was too late for it – slowly, it sagged to the ground. A low keen emanated from it, as squeaky as claws on a chalkboard. Taruto clapped his hands over his ears, but the sound was over and quickly as it had begun.

The creature was gone.

Taruto and Pai hovered silently. Taruto was still shaking. Then Yuuto's voice broke the silence.

“Stage two completed. Continue to final stage.”

The door opened in front of them. Taruto didn't look at Pai. He already knew what the older alien's expression was – suspicion and distrust. He was going to suggest they not go through the door and look for the others. But Taruto had already made up his mind.

Whatever game Yuuto had started, he was finishing it. Now.

* * *

_ Ichigo _

_ You're useless. _

_ You can't save anyone. _

_ You might as well die. _

Ichigo sobbed as the words sunk into her mind and lodged there, echoing in her head incessantly. Inside of herself, she tried to fight past the thoughts – they weren't even her own – screaming silently in her own mind to be heard. But she couldn't break through the blanket of despair. She felt completely worthless.

But she wouldn't give up, trying to move herself back to her feet, trying to ignore the words or replace them with her own. It was because of her resistance that she saw _ them. _

As thin as her thumb, a single black snake poked its head out of the lake, peering around with tiny black eyes. It located Ichigo and the others and slowly started to slither from the lake, its body seeming to go forever. More of them came from the water, all of them exactly the same width and length. They had to be twice as long as her, if not triple.

In her mind, she screamed and struggled, trying to pull herself up to defend herself. But the despair rooted so deeply in her mind that she could no longer find the will even to live. She was motionless as the first snake reached her and slowly began to wrap its long, sinuous body around her neck.

And still her mind struggled to be heard, trying to think about her friends – she couldn't let them die! But the snake started to squeeze, and her throat started to close up. The air could no longer fill her lungs, and already spots were starting to form over her eyes.

She was going to die, and there was nothing she could do about it. Her mind reached out with a final scream, then faded under the blanket of despair. She no longer cared about dying...maybe it would be better this way anyway.

A loud, angry battle cry rang across the meadow, and suddenly the air was rushing into her lungs. Warm, slippery blood began to pool underneath her – the dead snake lay motionless in two pieces on either side of her.

Strong hands yanked her up to a sitting position and the bright blue eyes of Blue Knight found her own.

“Ichigo,” Masaya breathed, the relief rushing into his face.

He pressed her to him, and she could feel him trembling. It felt strange, not being able to care. The whispers just wouldn't stop echoing in her head – she was so worthless. Masaya couldn't possibly love her. She was aware of starting to cry, but she had never felt so empty.

“Ichigo, come on, say something to me. Are you all right? How did they get you?”

Ichigo couldn't find the will to answer. It was all pointless, anyway. He carefully set her on the ground.

“Okay, wait here,” he said. “I'm going to get the others. Just take some deep breaths and calm down.”

Ichigo watched him hurry away, his blonde ponytail flapping in his haste. With a flash of steel, he cut through the other snakes that were starting to pile up on the other girls, pulling each one free of the writhing mass. Their eyes all appeared glazed and teary. None of them seemed to care much about dying, just like Ichigo.

The snakes hissed with a touch of anger now, and they turned away from their prey to face Masaya. He easily cut through the first wave of slow moving snakes. But as the thin black blood splattered the ground, the snakes grew angrier. And as they grew angrier, they also grew faster. Masaya quickly became surrounded on all sides as the snakes moved around him and under him, attempting to trip him up.

Ichigo watched all of this with a detached feeling. Inside, she was starting to freak out. What if Masaya couldn't handle it? But outwardly, Ichigo could hardly make herself care. Still, the whispers in her mind were starting to fade. Her inner self, which had just recently given up, noticed the weakness and used it, trying to push back to the surface and regain control.

Then a snake wrapped itself around Masaya's ankles and he went down, flailing as the writhing mass started to drown him.

And Ichigo broke past the despair.

“Masaya!!” she screamed, jumping to her feet.

She was NOT going to watch him die! The cat-girl pushed herself forward without a second thought, diving at the mass of snakes. She grabbed at them, ripping them off as easily as though they were bits of string. No wonder they need to incapacitate their victims first – they had little to no strength at all. A hand appeared in the mass, and Ichigo grabbed it, yanking as hard as she could. Masaya came through, gasping for breath. Ichigo ripped off the last few snakes clinging to him and pulled him out of the pile.

“Thank – you,” Masaya gasped, sweat beaded on his forehead.

Ichigo hugged him tightly, and he let out a gasp of air.

“Oh, sorry!”

Ichigo broke away.

“I'm sorry, I just – I'm so sorry I didn't help sooner – ”

Masaya put a finger to her lips, smiling tiredly.

“Sh,” he said. “Sh. It's all right.”

He hugged her trembling frame, trying to steady her. A long hiss drew them both back to the problem at hand. The mass of snakes had untangled itself, and they were coming towards them again. Whispers of uselessness and worthlessness hissed through Ichigo's mind, and she trembled, trying feebly to force them out. 

“Ichigo? What's wrong?”

“I'm not useless,” Ichigo whispered. “I'm not!”

Masaya gripped her hand, and the whispers faded. Still holding his hand, she called her Strawberry Bell to her free hand.

“Ribbon Strawberry Surprise!”

The bubbles pushed the snakes back, but they just kept on coming forward. One latched itself onto her ankles and she went down. Before she could vanish under the mass, Masaya yanked her out and sliced through a couple that got too close.

“They just keep coming!” Ichigo said.

She was starting to feel useless again, and the whole situation looked hopeless. No!! She couldn't think like that or she'd slip under again!

It became increasingly difficult to push back the snakes and keep her mind free of the despair that coated the whole battlefield. She started to wonder how Masaya was getting by. He didn't seem affected at all. And where were the others? Were they still trapped in the despair?

Something grabbed her ankle and she let out a short scream. Then she saw a small hand with furry gloves.

“Pudding!”

Ichigo grabbed the hand and pulled Pudding free. The little girl gasped, clinging to Ichigo with fear in her eyes.

“Oneechan, I kept thinking scary things nanoda,” she whimpered. “I wanted to die, oneechan. It was so scary nanoda.”

Ichigo leapt backwards, clutching Pudding to her and landing some feet away from the snakes.

“It's okay. You're all right now.”

Pudding whimpered and buried her face into Ichigo's chest.

“Then I thought I heard Tar-Tar nanoda,” she said. “And I didn't want to die anymore. But the monsters were everywhere nanoda– ”

Pudding sobbed for a minute.

“Ichigo-oneechan, I still hear them whispering. They're telling me to die – I don't want to die nanoda!!”

“You're not going to die!” Ichigo said fiercely, and the whispers in her own mind faded away. She was so determined to keep Pudding alive that she couldn't think about her own despair anymore. “Keep thinking about Taruto! Just keep thinking about him!”

Pudding sniffled and nodded.

“Now let's find the others, and kick some snake butt!”

Pudding cocked her head.

“Do snakes have butts nanoda?”

They looked at each other, and despite the circumstances, they burst out laughing. Instantly every trace of the despair was wiped away, and Ichigo couldn't even hear the whispers anymore. The snakes coming towards them suddenly started to slow down.

“Keep laughing, Pudding!” Ichigo said, an idea sparking in her mind. “I think it's stopping them!”

Pudding smiled, the sparkle back in her eyes.

“Laughing's no problem for me nanoda!” she said, bouncing off. “I want to see what snakes look like in jelly!!”

The idea seemed so funny in Ichigo's head that she could hardly see for laughing. Somewhere in the grass behind her, Mint sat up in a daze.

“Ichigo? Are you laughing?”

The bird mew looked at the giggling Ichigo critically.

“At a time like this? Really?”

Ichigo couldn't stop laughing – Mint was still Mint, no matter what.

“Mint! You're back!” she said.

Mint smiled slightly.

“I heard you laughing, and it just seemed so out of place that the whispers just vanished.”

“Cool – we need to find Lettuce and Zakuro now!”

Lettuce was already up, fighting with Pudding as the little girl spouted off an endless string of jokes that kept the both of them laughing. The snakes seemed even slower than before, moving as though trapped in molasses.

Then Zakuro appeared again, her eyes sparkling as she fought her way through. A small smile twitched at her lips as Pudding moved into a phase of pudding related jokes that weren't even particularly funny, but were extremely amusing in Pudding's voice.

Mint half-sneezed in a strange kind of laugh.

“Mint, are you laughing?” Ichigo said.

Mint tried to cover her smile.

“Of course not,” she said, holding in her giggle. “But the snakes are just so slow, it's rather comical, don't you think?”

Ichigo did think so, and yet another snort of laughter burst from her. Then Pudding started dancing around the super slow snakes, laughing at their slow motion attempts to catch her. And the strangest sound Ichigo had ever heard filled the meadow: Zakuro was  _ laughing. _

Ichigo looked in wonder at the normally expressionless girl, a huge laugh painting Zakuro's face with complete happiness. And the snakes froze completely.

“Ichigo!” Masaya shouted, trying to hold in a grin of his own. “Let's finish it!”

Ichigo leapt to join him, her bell at her fingers. It burst into light at the same time as Masaya's sword, and the bell ripped itself from her fingers.

“What the – ”

Masaya's sword flashed and glowed with fresh power, its blade coursing with pink and blue energy. He caught Ichigo's gaze and grinned.

“Well, this is new,” he said.

He raised the blade above his head and the power merged at its tip.

“Indigo Strawberry Comet!” he shouted, and brought the sword down hard.

The wave of energy bore down across the meadow, picking up the snakes and throwing them into the air. Back to the lake they went, falling into the water with a series of ripples. Just when Ichigo thought it was over, the snakes slowly poked their heads out of the water, still hampered by the laughter but angrier than ever before.

Masaya's sword flashed and Ichigo's bell returned to her – but it had grown bigger. Wings sprouted from the dip of the heart, and it practically quivered with power.

Ichigo could feel strength pulsing through her veins, fueled with laughter and happiness. Surrounded by her friends and the boy that loved her, she felt as though nothing, nothing at all, could ever defeat her. There was no way anything could destroy that which she wanted to protect.

And then she felt pity, pity for the snakes that could do nothing but spread despair in their wake. It didn't seem right, that they were forced to cause such pain in order to survive. If only she could save them.

The bell flashed and responded to her thoughts, and words forced their way from her mouth.

“Ribbon Strawberry Check Healing!!”

Nothing appeared to happen right away. Then a sweet smelling wind blew across the meadow, stirring the grass and rippling the water. Slowly, each snake began to close its eyes. A low hum emanated from their throats as the pinkish breeze grew into a fast moving tornado that bore through the water – though without making a change in the ripples. Then the lake glowed for a full minute, and the world fell silent.

Ichigo's bell shrank back to normal, and the power faded from her limbs. She stumbled backwards into Masaya's arms, feeling totally fatigued.

“We won, right?” she asked.

Masaya smiled.

“Yeah I think so,” he said.

The water rippled and for a moment, Ichigo felt frightened. Then a bright green snake with amber eyes poked its head from the water, much thicker around than the black snakes had been. Others appeared, in all colors and shapes. A feeling of contentment and joy filled the meadow, and the first green snake caught Ichigo's eye. She couldn't be sure, but she thought she saw it wink. But snakes didn't have eyelids, right? That was silly.

_ Thank you,  _ came the low whisper.

Then they vanished back under the lake, and a door opened before the group.

“Stage two complete,” said Yuuto's voice. “Continue to final stage.”

Ichigo looked up into Masaya's eyes, but he was staring forward, towards the door with a look of determination. Ichigo relaxed, and slowly dragged herself to her feet. There would be time to ask how he had gotten here later. One final stage. Then they were going home.

One stage.

She tried to quell the fear that was slowly growing in her chest.


	45. The Final Stage - Yuuto's Conclusion

_ Kish _

The land stretched out before them, blank and barren. Cracks covered the ground, suggesting months, if not years, without rain. A strange yellowish color stained the sky, and not a single cloud marred the disgusting color.

Kish wrinkled his nose and tried to ignore the faint heat that already began to assault his face. He shifted, his legs still mostly useless.

“Lovely scenery,” he said.

“For sure,” Orla said. “I wonder what challenge this is: survival without water?”

Kish secretly hoped not. He couldn't take much more heat after the labyrinth, and he didn't want to expend too much energy on winds to keep them cool.

But then something caught his eye which lifted his spirits immeasurably. Taruto and Pai appeared five feet off, and another six feet past them, Ichigo and the mews stepped into the barren landscape.

“Tar-Tar!” Pudding squealed, running over and jumping on the young boy. Taruto didn't seem to mind too much this time, hugging her so tightly that Kish wondered what challenges the young boy had had to face.

Mairead helped Kish walk over to the slowly amassing group. Some talked quickly amongst themselves, like Ichigo, who tried to explain to Orla what had occurred while Orla did the same, and Kendra, who attempted to explain to Pai that yes, his daughter had held up fine. Others just appeared glad of the reunion, like Zakuro, who merely closed her eyes with relief. And of course, Tanya and Pudding had already started hugging each other, and crying a little bit and talking incessantly.

Finally, Pai broke up the madness.

“It appears that Chantilly and Erinda did not cross over at all,” he said. “Otherwise, we might have caught up with them.”

“You guys got through the stages all right, then?” Kish said. “No major injuries, right?”

“Mostly just shaken, that's all,” Ichigo said. “But I think we held up all right.”

Kish noticed that everyone was accounted for, and he took relief in that fact.

“Oh, Kish!” Lettuce said suddenly. “You can speak again!”

And the chaos resumed as everyone clamored to hear how Kish had regained the use of the upper half of his body. Slowly, Kish started to relax. Everyone had reunited – everything would be all right.

Then a thought occurred to him – what if they had been reunited because this final challenge could not be taken on without help?

Just as he thought this, a thick, dry wind blew across the barren land, stirring dust in its wake. Kish almost gagged on the dry heat that came with it, and he stirred up one of his own cool winds to protect the others from it.

He had barely blinked – not really at all, actually – but one moment, the land appeared empty. The next moment, a tall knight clothed in ebony black armor sat upon a black horse before them. The great war horse pawed its giant hoof – the hoof alone had to be the size of a dinner plate.

“What is that?” Kish whispered. It seemed almost dangerous to speak too loudly in the presence of this great being.

Mairead looked completely shocked, with a little bit of terror thrown in.

“Kendra,” she murmured. “Doesn't this seem familiar?”

Kendra nodded, no small trace of fear in her own eyes.

“Yeah. From Universal Mythology class, right?”

“What is it?” Kish asked, not daring to take his eyes off it.

“An old yokai legend speaks of dark spirits in the desert – lost souls that ride of black horses and lure travelers to their death, doomed to become Black Riders themselves,” Mairead said. “I can't believe – no. Why would Yuuto be so reckless in creating these stages, unless he means to kill us?”

Mairead's words frightened Kish, and he wished fervently that the movement in his legs had returned and he could stand on his own. He shifted his wings, ready to take off if need be, so as not to slow down Mairead. Then he took a breath, and tried to feel strong for everyone else's sake.

“So what do we do?” he said.

“We most certainly can't follow it,” Kendra said.

The creature had taken a few monstrous steps in the opposite direction, and now stood there, looking back at them as though it wished them to follow.

“It will lead us around in circles until we die of thirst and exhaustion,” Kendra said. “Then our souls turn into Black Riders until the end of all time.”

“Lovely,” Mint muttered. “Let's go the other way, then.”

But no sooner had the group turned around than three more Riders appeared silently on all sides of them. Great battle axes winked in the desert sun, and Kish winced at the sudden burst of heat.

“No choice, then,” he said. “They say we're not going anywhere else.”

“What if we fly?” Orla said.

“Um, hello? We're not Cyniclons with that ability,” Ichigo said nervously. “Please don't leave us.”

“We can't split up anyway,” Kish said. “Let's see where they take us. If it seems like they're just going to lead us in circles, we fight our way out. Deal?”

The others nodded silently, and Kish hoped fervently that he was making the right decision. Slowly, they started off, trudging across the dry, cracked land with the riders on all sides of them. Only the sound of shuffling footsteps and the clink of armor broke the silence.

Kish's head started to buzz from the heat. Already his head had begun to feel the effects of the heat.

“Ugh,” he muttered, leaning a bit heavily on Mairead. “I'm sorry.”

Mairead just shifted him a bit more comfortably and kept walking. She already knew about his hatred of heat, dry or humid.

Just when Kish could take it no longer, certain that his brain would melt and ooze out through his ears, their forced march stopped. He looked up to find a huge castle of black stone looming ahead of them, sparkling like black opals in the desert sun.

He glanced back at Kendra, eyebrows raised.

“Walk us in circles til we die?” he said.

Kendra didn't seem convinced, glaring at the castle as though it would jump up and bite. The lead knight sat up in the saddle and tapped his heels against his horse's sides. The great beast stomped a single hoof one, two, three times. A moment passed. Then the great black doors slowly swung open. The riders began to move in, forcing the group to follow along into the darkness.

The sudden change in temperature shocked Kish for a moment, then he relaxed, glad for the cool, damp air that flooded past his sweating face. In the few moments of desert light, he saw that the corridor stretched on far ahead into darkness, the black stone damp and cold with the thick musty scent of old, wet books penetrating every nook and cranny. The cool air Kish had welcomed a moment before quickly became chilling and vaguely ominous. Then the doors clanged shut and darkness reclaimed the corridor.

It took a moment, but then a faint, flickering torch lit a small portion of the room. The Black Riders had dismounted, and their steeds had disappeared. The lead rider motioned with a gloved hand, and they began their way down the corridor.

“Where are we going?” Tanya squeaked.

Ichigo shushed her automatically. Kish understood – the silence felt physical and real here, and it seemed dangerous to break it. Just add some scary piano sounds, and the mood would be set.

_ Look at that. Terrified, and I can still make jokes. _

The torchlight revealed a small opening in the wall, and the knight beckoned them down it. They carefully made their way down a thin flight of dark, damp steps. Kish got so busy watched his feet and trying not to weigh Mairead down, that he barely noticed the corridor shifting strangely, almost warping. The image vanished in an instant, and only after it disappeared did he realize that something was off.

Mairead seemed strange. She still held his arm over one shoulder, supporting him, but she seemed...slippery. Like oil.

“Mairead?” he whispered.

“Yes?”

“Are you all right?”

“Yes, I'm fine.”

Her voice had a strange tinny aspect to it. A feeling of uneasiness began to settle over him as they reached a pair of small, identical doors. The lead rider opened the one on the left, and they went through. 

A strange looking armory full of black armor met Kish's eyes. Weapons winked at him in the corner. Then the knight pulled him away from Mairead and starting shoving a huge battle ax into his arms. Kish stumbled, both under the weight of the weapon and the uselessness of his legs. He collapsed onto the ground. Instantly the knight heaved him up and Kish snapped out his wings to keep his balance. The feeling in his legs appeared to be returning slowly, but it still felt like pins and needles jabbed into every inch.

The knight pulled Kish up and towards the door again. Kish tried to turn around to find his friends, but the knight shoved him out the door and then out the second of the identical doors. The bright sunlight blasted his eyes, and instantly he noticed the heat again.

It took a long moment for his eyes to adjust, and he looked out at the scenery with a sinking heart. Before him stretched a large, oval arena, with rows of empty seats all around. Much like a stadium – or like a coliseum. As the only occupants of the stands, a bunch of Black Riders spread out among the seats, all standing at attention like guards.

Kish squinted against the glare, trying to see the person coming out on the other side. He leaned heavily against a pillar, trying to bring the feeling into his legs quickly. It looked like a Black Rider had started across the sandy stadium, holding a big ax like the one Kish held.

Kish swallowed, thinking he knew where this scene headed. So, a tournament made up the final stage. Alone, he would have to face a Black Rider, with no idea where his friends had ended up.

He closed his eyes a moment, tried to ignore the heat, then unfurled his wings and took to the air, soaring over to the Black Rider. It stopped abruptly as Kish came to hover in front of it. Kish almost thought it seemed surprised. Kish clutched the heavy battle ax, with no idea how to use it. He would probably switch to his sais quickly.

The Rider attacked first, swiping at him. He dodged nimbly, but found that the ax hindered his flight and discarded it. He zipped through the air and brought out his sais to go for the rider's back. The thing turned much faster than something with armor should have, and started to slash at his stomach. Then the sunlight caught the metal of his sais and the rider froze in mid swipe, staring. Kish took advantage of the distraction and darted forward, slipping the thin metal of the side through a chink in the armor between the arm and torso.

Strangely, the sai seemed to pass right through the metal, and an all-too-familiar yelp caught Kish's ear. He jerked back, drawing his sai away still dripping with blood. The rider stayed frozen, shuddering. The image of the armor rippled slightly, as though seen through a heat haze. And despite the sufficient heat, Kish felt certain that no heat haze could be blamed.

He zipped into the air, where neither of them could reach the other. Carefully, he withdrew into his core, trying to find the power he had used to blow away Foxfire's spell. If a spell had been used, maybe he could blow it away again.

The air burst to life at his asking, surprisingly eager to move about. Kish drew the wind close to him, whipping about him in a twister, then let it fly outward in a flash of power.

_ Like a leaf,  _ he thought.  _ Blow away the spell like a leaf. _

And the image of the Black Rider vanished below him, revealing Mairead in its place. Kish drew in a breath, a flutter of fear going through him. Had he injured her badly? Would she be okay? But he caught himself before zooming down.

—Mairead? Mairead, is that you—

He felt her sighing with relief in his mind.

—Yes. Yes, it's me—

With relief, Kish zoomed down to meet her, forgetting about his legs and falling down the minute he landed. Mairead dropped down and helped him sit up, her eyes glistening with tears.

“Oh Great Blue, Kish,” she said. “I thought something strange happened in the corridor, but – oh gods. Why didn't I check through our minds?”

“I should've thought of it myself,” Kish said, squeezing her shoulder. “Some sadistic challenge, huh? I bet Yuuto wanted to cut us in half. We might have killed each other.”

Mairead swallowed, and hugged him tightly.

“You're okay, right?” she whispered.

“I'm fine,” Kish said. “Great Blue, Mairead. I'm the one that stabbed you. Are  _ you  _ all right?”

“Oh I'm fine,” Mairead said. “I thought it seemed strange when I saw a Black Rider flying, and then the sais – I should have realized sooner.”

Kish shrugged, and would have said more. But a pair of Black Riders had appeared in the arena and positively radiated the intent to kill.

“Okay, less talking, more fighting,” Kish said. “Let's go.”

“Right,” Mairead said.

She helped him to his feet, and he pushed off into the air. He recalled his sais and dove at the first Black Rider without a second thought. The knight swiped at him with the battle ax, but the large weapon proved too unwieldy to hit a fast moving Kish. He thrust a sai towards a chink in the armor and missed. The weapon screeched uselessly against the armor, and Kish had to jerk back to avoid the swinging ax. 

He dropped to the ground and instantly collapsed under his weak legs. Luckily, he recovered enough to send a blast of wind at the Black Rider and force it back long enough for Kish to surge back to the air. He sent a second flurry of wind. This time the knight held its ground, digging into the sand to keep its footing. It raised its ax above it head. But it would never reach Kish at that distance – 

The ax whistled through the air, and a shocked Kish didn't quite dodge in time. The sharp ax slashed open his shoulder and the flat struck his wing. He spiraled to the ground, and only his winds kept him from the certain death of impact. The rider was on him in a second, and Kish's injured wing could not take him back into the air.

There would be no time to recover – the rider produced a second ax from thin air and slashed down without a thought.

“Ribbon Lettuce Rush!!”

Water smashed into the knight and it went flying back. Lettuce appeared at Kish's side, awkwardly trying to pull his arm over her shoulder.

“Lettuce!” Kish said. “Where did you come from?”

“It took me and Tanya a little while to figure out we were fighting each other,” she said. “When we figured it out, we realized you guys must be somewhere, and Tanya's locator spell brought us to you.”

“Well, I'm glad you showed up! Where's Tanya?”

“She went to help Mairead, I think –”

The rider appeared again, looming over them. Lettuce yelped with surprise, and neither of them could move fast enough. Then Mairead appeared, forcing the creature back. Lettuce hurried as fast as she could while dragging Kish along towards an alcove.

Kendra and Orla shot past them, diving into the fray without noticing them.

“Okay, are you going to be all right?” Lettuce asked.

“I don't know – I can't tell how bad my wing is. And my shoulder's bleeding.”

He glanced out into the stadium. It had filled up quickly, and already it appeared that everyone had made their way in. The number of Black Riders had more than tripled as well. Already, his friends had been pushed back, forming a tight back-to-back circle while trying to hold back the riders all around them.

“We've got to help,” Kish said, pushing himself up.

“But you can't fly or walk –” Lettuce protested.

His legs felt shaky, but Kish thought he could hold himself for a few minutes.

“I need you to clear a path,” he said. “I have to get to the center so I can combo with the others.”

“Like Ichigo does with us?”

“Exactly. Let's hurry – I don't know how long my legs will last.”

Lettuce nodded curtly and shot into the arena. Water flashed from her castanets and bore down on the riders. A path opened up – he had mere seconds before it would close up again.

“Hurry!!” Lettuce shouted.

Kish summoned up all the wind he could muster. Then he let it go in a raging storm that pushed him through the gap just as it closed up. He turned the wind on the riders, sending them flying back towards the walls. Him and the others stood in the eye of the whirlwind he had created, protected from the raging winds while the riders tried not to get blown away.

“Good job, Kish!” Kendra shouted.

Kish's legs crumpled, and the others ran over to him.

“Where's Lettuce?” Ichigo asked.

Kish whipped his head to look for the young girl. She stood safely in an alcove, the wind whipped at her but not yet stealing her away. Lettuce looked up and caught his gaze. She sent him a smile and a thumb's up.

Kish turned to face everyone else.

“Okay, I don't know about you, but I want to finish this right now,” he said. “No more waiting til the last second to pull out the ace – let's take them down  _ now. _ ”

Kendra grinned, and Orla nodded. Ichigo looked around at the Kyaldians, eyes narrowed in confusion.

“What? What are you guys talking about?”

“Just watch, Ichigo,” Kish said. “Okay guys, let's do the Wing Sword. Mairead, can you heal my wing quick, so I can fly?”

Mairead dropped down, and the water spread from her fingers to cover his wing. It would take a few more minutes, and his windstorm had begun to die down.

“Okay, everyone! Lend me you power!”

Green, blue, silver, purple – all four lights zoomed to him, and he reached out to catch them. His own white light shot out to join the colors and a flash of bright light burst in his eyes. When the light dimmed, the sword hung in front of him. He snatched it from the air – not a moment too soon.

His windstorm had vanished. The riders picked themselves up with a speed armored knights should not have. The coolness of Mairead's healing had not yet faded, and Kish looked at her imploringly.

“Are you almost done?” he asked nervously.

“It's bruised pretty badly,” Mairead said. “Just another minute.”

“Buy us some time!” Kish said, looking at the mews.

“No problem!” Ichigo said.

The mews formed a right circle around the Kyaldians, weapons outstretched. Lettuce rushed to join them. The energy waves burst forward, knocking one or two knights back at a time. But the riders merely bounced back, and most of them dodged the attacks entirely. They closed in quickly – ten feet away. Five. Three. Two.

The axes raised up, and the healing slowly started to take effect.

_ No time! _

“Everyone, get into the air! Take the mews!” Kish shouted.

They responded just in time – Taruto snatched Pudding and leapt up. Kendra grabbed Zakuro's hand and yanked her into the sky just before an ax removed the girl's head from her shoulder. Mint soared up on her own, and Mairead pulled Ichigo up and away from an armored hand. Finally, Orla took Lettuce up into the air, and only Kish remained. 

Mairead screamed. The ax moved in slow motion towards Kish's head. But Kish didn't flinch. The energy gathered in the sword, and the words ripped from his throat.

“Ribbon Wing Strike!!”

The rainbow colored feathered dragon burst to life, surging into the sky with a wave of energy that flattened Kish to the ground. The riders flew back from him. Then the dragon came back down. In a whirlwind of color and energy, it swirled around the coliseum and snapped the Black Riders into tiny pieces. Bits of armor fell to the ground, whatever had been inside vanished.

The dragon paused, its duty over. Then it faded away into the sunlight, leaving only debris as a sign that it had ever been. The sword vanished from Kish's limp hand, and he lay on the ground. He heaved in a giant breath. Then a laugh bubbled from his throat. The others dropped from the ground, and he found himself heaved up into a giant group hug.

“We did it!”

“Oh gods Kish!”

“Hooray nanoda!!”

“I'm going to sleep for a week after this!”

“Nice going, Kish!”

“Great teamwork everyone!”

Kish laughed, exhausted and exhilarated all at the same time. Mairead kissed him, and for a moment, he was lost in sweet bliss.

But then something occurred to him. Yuuto's image had not appeared. No voice had spoken, signaling the end of the stage. No door opened up back to Leoti's shop.

A feeling of dread wormed its way into his stomach.

_ Nothing was ever this easy. _

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a piece of armor start to move across the ground. Others had started to move as well, coming towards the far end of the coliseum. They seemed to be...attaching to each other...and building something...

Zakuro noticed as well, and instantly starting breaking everyone apart.

“Get back!” she shouted.

“Everyone  _ move _ !” Kish shouted. “It's not over! It's not over!”

Everyone broke out of the great group hug and hurried to face the giant thing forming at the end of stadium. Not a moment too soon.

Before them stood the biggest thing Kish had ever seen – a giant, pig-like creature of black steel, tusks made of axes poking from a giant mouth made of shields. A loud, metallic roar sounded across the stadium, and Kish clapped his hands over his ears as the sound screeched into his brain.

Then the giant steel hand with claws made of axes swiped across the stadium, scattering the mews and Kyaldians instantly. Kish flew through the air and smashed against the wall, his wings crumpling behind him. Pain lanced down his spine, and he was pretty sure he had broken something in his wing. He didn't even want to think about how long that would take to heal without Mairead right there.

Kish slumped against the wall, his legs too shaky to stand on. At this point, his wings didn't feel too bad. But he knew the moment he tried to move them, the pain would shoot through him again.

The armor monster moved its great big head around slowly. Its tiny black eyes apparently couldn't see well – maybe that could be used to their advantage.

_ Everyone! Can you all hear me? What's our damage assessment? _

Tanya answered first.

_ I might have twisted my ankle, and Pudding-chan hit her head, so she's dizzy. _

_ Don't let her move,  _ Kendra ordered.  _ She might have a concussion. I came out all right. Zakuro's fine too, but one of Mint's wings looks pretty bad, and she's a little scratched up. _

_ I'm mostly fine,  _ Ichigo said.  _ I just scraped my elbows. Masaya sprained his ankle. _

_ Orla's unconscious,  _ Lettuce said.  _ I think I broke my leg. _

_ You only think?  _ Ichigo said sarcastically.  _ Lettuce, I can see how grossly out of place that is from over here. _

_ Mairead's unconscious, too,  _ Taruto said.  _ I hit my head, but I think I'm okay. Pai snapped his wrist; he can't hold a sword. _

Dang. With Mairead unconscious, they had no healer.

The armor monster seemed confused by the silence, and in the shadows at the edge of the arena, they were all but invisible.

_ Okay, anyone got any other aces in the hole left?  _ Kish asked.

_ I might!  _ Ichigo said excitedly.  _ Masaya and I can do a combo. We'll try that. _

_ Isn't his ankle sprained? _

_ He says he doesn't have to stand to shoot energy at something as big as Mt. Fuji. _

Kish laughed softly.

_ Okay, go for it. Try not to let it see you. You only have one shot. _

Kish felt Ichigo acknowledge his thoughts, and he felt a slight rise in energy some ways off. He shifted to get a better view and the pain shot down his spine. He decided to just stay still. It didn't matter anyway. He could easily see the mixture of blue and pink light flaring at the other side of the coliseum. The energy bore down on the monster's back, a swirling sword that promised to slice the creature in half. For a moment, Kish felt positive that it would work.

But it didn't – the attack sunk uselessly into the black armor. The creature slowly turned around to face where the attack had come, and its great mouth opened up. Kish could just see a mixture of blue and pink light starting to form inside of it – and he suddenly knew what was happening.

Remembering Masaya's sprained ankle, Kish sent a force of wind into the area he thought Ichigo and Masaya must be. Feeling their forms, he pushed harder and lifted the pair into the air, tumbling in the wind to touch gently down out of the way of their own blast headed directly for them.

_ Thanks Kish,  _ Ichigo said, her mental voice shaking.  _ Neither of us expected that. _

_ Now what? _ Kendra said.  _ Anyone have any  _ other  _ aces? Preferably ones that can't be absorbed? _

_ If I could just blow it away, I would,  _ Kish said.  _ But the force for that would require a lot more wind than any of us could withstand. I might kill all of us. _

_ How about somebody lets their attack get absorbed, then I can copy it and shoot it back at the monster? _ Tanya said.

_ That might cause an explosion – we can't risk that. Any other ideas? _ Kendra asked.

Silence. No one had any ideas. Kish's heart started to sink. They really would die here.

Kish didn't have a choice anymore. He would have to try to blow it away.

_ Okay, everyone grab hold of something. I'm going to try and blow it – _

His sais glinted into the sunlight, and the monster's eyes flashed to him. Instantly the great mouth was open, a great swirling darkness inside. Just when Kish felt certain that some form of Ichigo and Masaya's combo would come out and kill him, a great force yanked him into the air.

Someone cried out as he shot helplessly through the air, tumbling into the giant swirling darkness within the creature's mouth.

_ Great. I'm going to die as someone's dinner. _

Then he tumbled inside, instantly surrounded in impenetrable darkness.

He had expected to hit metal, but he hit nothing at all. He merely floated in the darkness, born through a space that had to be much bigger than the creature had actually been. Nothing changed. Had he been able to feel his hand and move it, Kish felt certain that he wouldn't have been able to see it in front of his face. But he couldn't feel any part of his body. It felt like this darkness around him was more like nothingness.

Then a low, sad keen filled his ears, bringing tears to his eyes. Soft crying and sobbing came from all directions, words in other languages pleaded with him. The loud wail of a baby pierced through him. Then suddenly light spilled out all around him, and he realized that he was gasping for breath.

“Kish!” Kendra's voice seemed far away.

“Kish! Hey Kish!”

Ichigo appeared to be there too.

His vision cleared slowly. He sat in the shadow of the coliseum walls, Kendra on one side and Ichigo on the other. Lettuce stood in front of him, and Tanya sat a few feet off next to a dazed looking Pudding.

“What happened?” Kish asked.

“The monster ate you. It looked like it was filled with shadows, so I just pulled at them and made him throw up,” Kendra said.

“Oh. Sounds lovely.”

“Oh shut up. I saved your life.”

“Ugh,” Kish groaned, his head buzzing. “Something seemed weird in there.”

“Like what?” Ichigo asked.

“Like nothingness,” Kish said. “Except for sadness. I guess those are the lost souls, like Mairead said before.”

Ichigo's eyes suddenly widened.

“Wait – the lost souls are sad?”

“Yeah, I guess they would be. Why?”

Ichigo looked excited now.

“I think we can pull this off! I need to make sure Pudding is awake enough to help with this combo. Kendra, cover me!”

Kendra nodded, and the shadows jumped up to make Ichigo virtually invisible. A few moments later, she returned, eyes bright with fervor.

“Kish, can you link me up with the other mews? I can't talk telepathically unless one of the Kyaldians opens their mind for me.”

Kish nodded, a bit confused. He opened up his mind and found the rest of the mews, linking them up with Ichigo.

_ Everyone! I need you to lend me your power! I'm going to do what I did with the snakes! _

_ Good idea, Ichigo!  _ Lettuce thought.

Not another word was needed. Four lights appeared, zooming to Ichigo. The monster saw them and slowly started to face them, its mouth starting to open.

“Hurry, Ichigo!” Kish said. “It's going to swallow us!”

Ichigo ignored him, combining the lights together in her hands. Her Strawberry Bell appeared in her fingers – but it seemed different. Bigger. Wings sprouted from the top, and the power that surrounded it was practically physical. Yet it did not feel overwhelming. It seemed softer, kinder.

The force began to pull them towards the creature, but Ichigo had already raised her weapon, pointing it directly towards the creature's mouth.

“Ribbon Strawberry Check Healing!” 

A soft pink breeze flew from the center of the weapon, filtering into the beast's mouth. Instantly it snapped its mouth shut, stumbling back. A loud metallic screech filled the air for a split second – then the thing exploded into a million tiny pieces. 

Kish snapped his eyes shut against the dust. When he opened them again, the monster had completely vanished. The sun's glare seemed a little less oppressive; the heat had subsided. Ichigo quivered, and her weapon disappeared.

“We won that time, right?” she asked nervously.

For a long moment, nothing happened. Then a rush of power surged through Kish. The tinglies vanished from his legs, his wings popped painfully into place, and he slowly, slowly, stood on his own two feet.

The others slowly filtered over to them, tired, but filled with the rush of power similar to what Kish had found. Mairead hugged him, and despite his full recovery he nearly fell over from the force of her hug. Everyone seemed to be okay – no major injuries. For a moment, Kish felt worried – there had been no announcement of the end of the stage.

Then an image flickered to life before them, and Yuuto stood there with a huge grin on his face. This was no prerecorded message, though the young yokai was still not really there.

“You guys did it!” he said. “I told Ren you'd make it!”

Ren's voice floated through the hologram.

“All right, all right, I admit it. I owe you ten shrell.”

Kish couldn't help but roll his eyes. However, Yuuto couldn't be more excited.

“You guys passed  _ Shinumaze  _ with no fatalities! And trust me, that's hard to do, even for high level demons!”

“Oh thanks,” Orla grumbled.

Yuuto ignored her.

“I see you're back to normal, Kish,” he said. “Good job. The rest of you will probably experience some boost or change in your powers. That's the prize of finishing the game.”

“Cool,” said Tanya.

“Okay, go on through the door back to Leoti's shop. I'll meet you guys there and explain things a bit better.”

“Sounds great to me,” Kish said. “I could use an explanation.”

The door opened, and the sight of Leoti's shop had never been more welcoming.

* * *

Yuuto turned away from the hologram, barely able to contain his excitement. They had done it! They had actually done it! Even Deep Blue had had more trouble when he completed the games centuries ago!! Maybe, just maybe, the Kyaldians would actually do it this time and destroy Deep Blue for good!

Yuuto turned around excitedly to talk to Ren before he went to meet the Kyaldians. But someone else stood there. Yuuto froze, staring into burning red eyes, and for a moment, he thought Kolora had found him. But it was much, much worse.

Azulda smiled a slow, mirthless smile.

“Well, well, well, little yokai. Thought you could go right under my nose, didn't you?”

Yuuto had lost the ability to speak. Fear pulsed through his veins and his heart threatened to stop. The oppressive presence of her threatened to force him to the ground.

“But y-you – you're – ”

“Dead? Why yes, I am. I slipped you into my bubble, as it were. Only here can I appear in a physical form. Until I get my body back, of course.”

Yuuto could not move as the tall yokai woman ran a long finger down his face.

“Actually, you did remarkably well. I needed the human girl to learn that technique. And Jun's little descendent was no use to me paralyzed.”

Yuuto's breaths came in short, shuddering gasps. Would she kill him? Was this where he would die?

Azulda smiled again, this time with some kind of sadistic, primeval happiness.

“Now, I'm a little shaky on the details about this time frame.”

A long sapphire sword brushed Yuuto's neck. Cold dread spread down his spine.

“And you're going to give me the information I need.”


	46. The Final Stage - Yuuto's Conclusion

_ Kish _

The land stretched out before them, blank and barren. Cracks covered the ground, suggesting months, if not years, without rain. A strange yellowish color stained the sky, and not a single cloud marred the disgusting color.

Kish wrinkled his nose and tried to ignore the faint heat that already began to assault his face. He shifted, his legs still mostly useless.

“Lovely scenery,” he said.

“For sure,” Orla said. “I wonder what challenge this is: survival without water?”

Kish secretly hoped not. He couldn't take much more heat after the labyrinth, and he didn't want to expend too much energy on winds to keep them cool.

But then something caught his eye which lifted his spirits immeasurably. Taruto and Pai appeared five feet off, and another six feet past them, Ichigo and the mews stepped into the barren landscape.

“Tar-Tar!” Pudding squealed, running over and jumping on the young boy. Taruto didn't seem to mind too much this time, hugging her so tightly that Kish wondered what challenges the young boy had had to face.

Mairead helped Kish walk over to the slowly amassing group. Some talked quickly amongst themselves, like Ichigo, who tried to explain to Orla what had occurred while Orla did the same, and Kendra, who attempted to explain to Pai that yes, his daughter had held up fine. Others just appeared glad of the reunion, like Zakuro, who merely closed her eyes with relief. And of course, Tanya and Pudding had already started hugging each other, and crying a little bit and talking incessantly.

Finally, Pai broke up the madness.

“It appears that Chantilly and Erinda did not cross over at all,” he said. “Otherwise, we might have caught up with them.”

“You guys got through the stages all right, then?” Kish said. “No major injuries, right?”

“Mostly just shaken, that's all,” Ichigo said. “But I think we held up all right.”

Kish noticed that everyone was accounted for, and he took relief in that fact.

“Oh, Kish!” Lettuce said suddenly. “You can speak again!”

And the chaos resumed as everyone clamored to hear how Kish had regained the use of the upper half of his body. Slowly, Kish started to relax. Everyone had reunited – everything would be all right.

Then a thought occurred to him – what if they had been reunited because this final challenge could not be taken on without help?

Just as he thought this, a thick, dry wind blew across the barren land, stirring dust in its wake. Kish almost gagged on the dry heat that came with it, and he stirred up one of his own cool winds to protect the others from it.

He had barely blinked – not really at all, actually – but one moment, the land appeared empty. The next moment, a tall knight clothed in ebony black armor sat upon a black horse before them. The great war horse pawed its giant hoof – the hoof alone had to be the size of a dinner plate.

“What is that?” Kish whispered. It seemed almost dangerous to speak too loudly in the presence of this great being.

Mairead looked completely shocked, with a little bit of terror thrown in.

“Kendra,” she murmured. “Doesn't this seem familiar?”

Kendra nodded, no small trace of fear in her own eyes.

“Yeah. From Universal Mythology class, right?”

“What is it?” Kish asked, not daring to take his eyes off it.

“An old yokai legend speaks of dark spirits in the desert – lost souls that ride of black horses and lure travelers to their death, doomed to become Black Riders themselves,” Mairead said. “I can't believe – no. Why would Yuuto be so reckless in creating these stages, unless he means to kill us?”

Mairead's words frightened Kish, and he wished fervently that the movement in his legs had returned and he could stand on his own. He shifted his wings, ready to take off if need be, so as not to slow down Mairead. Then he took a breath, and tried to feel strong for everyone else's sake.

“So what do we do?” he said.

“We most certainly can't follow it,” Kendra said.

The creature had taken a few monstrous steps in the opposite direction, and now stood there, looking back at them as though it wished them to follow.

“It will lead us around in circles until we die of thirst and exhaustion,” Kendra said. “Then our souls turn into Black Riders until the end of all time.”

“Lovely,” Mint muttered. “Let's go the other way, then.”

But no sooner had the group turned around than three more Riders appeared silently on all sides of them. Great battle axes winked in the desert sun, and Kish winced at the sudden burst of heat.

“No choice, then,” he said. “They say we're not going anywhere else.”

“What if we fly?” Orla said.

“Um, hello? We're not Cyniclons with that ability,” Ichigo said nervously. “Please don't leave us.”

“We can't split up anyway,” Kish said. “Let's see where they take us. If it seems like they're just going to lead us in circles, we fight our way out. Deal?”

The others nodded silently, and Kish hoped fervently that he was making the right decision. Slowly, they started off, trudging across the dry, cracked land with the riders on all sides of them. Only the sound of shuffling footsteps and the clink of armor broke the silence.

Kish's head started to buzz from the heat. Already his head had begun to feel the effects of the heat.

“Ugh,” he muttered, leaning a bit heavily on Mairead. “I'm sorry.”

Mairead just shifted him a bit more comfortably and kept walking. She already knew about his hatred of heat, dry or humid.

Just when Kish could take it no longer, certain that his brain would melt and ooze out through his ears, their forced march stopped. He looked up to find a huge castle of black stone looming ahead of them, sparkling like black opals in the desert sun.

He glanced back at Kendra, eyebrows raised.

“Walk us in circles til we die?” he said.

Kendra didn't seem convinced, glaring at the castle as though it would jump up and bite. The lead knight sat up in the saddle and tapped his heels against his horse's sides. The great beast stomped a single hoof one, two, three times. A moment passed. Then the great black doors slowly swung open. The riders began to move in, forcing the group to follow along into the darkness.

The sudden change in temperature shocked Kish for a moment, then he relaxed, glad for the cool, damp air that flooded past his sweating face. In the few moments of desert light, he saw that the corridor stretched on far ahead into darkness, the black stone damp and cold with the thick musty scent of old, wet books penetrating every nook and cranny. The cool air Kish had welcomed a moment before quickly became chilling and vaguely ominous. Then the doors clanged shut and darkness reclaimed the corridor.

It took a moment, but then a faint, flickering torch lit a small portion of the room. The Black Riders had dismounted, and their steeds had disappeared. The lead rider motioned with a gloved hand, and they began their way down the corridor.

“Where are we going?” Tanya squeaked.

Ichigo shushed her automatically. Kish understood – the silence felt physical and real here, and it seemed dangerous to break it. Just add some scary piano sounds, and the mood would be set.

_ Look at that. Terrified, and I can still make jokes. _

The torchlight revealed a small opening in the wall, and the knight beckoned them down it. They carefully made their way down a thin flight of dark, damp steps. Kish got so busy watched his feet and trying not to weigh Mairead down, that he barely noticed the corridor shifting strangely, almost warping. The image vanished in an instant, and only after it disappeared did he realize that something was off.

Mairead seemed strange. She still held his arm over one shoulder, supporting him, but she seemed...slippery. Like oil.

“Mairead?” he whispered.

“Yes?”

“Are you all right?”

“Yes, I'm fine.”

Her voice had a strange tinny aspect to it. A feeling of uneasiness began to settle over him as they reached a pair of small, identical doors. The lead rider opened the one on the left, and they went through. 

A strange looking armory full of black armor met Kish's eyes. Weapons winked at him in the corner. Then the knight pulled him away from Mairead and starting shoving a huge battle ax into his arms. Kish stumbled, both under the weight of the weapon and the uselessness of his legs. He collapsed onto the ground. Instantly the knight heaved him up and Kish snapped out his wings to keep his balance. The feeling in his legs appeared to be returning slowly, but it still felt like pins and needles jabbed into every inch.

The knight pulled Kish up and towards the door again. Kish tried to turn around to find his friends, but the knight shoved him out the door and then out the second of the identical doors. The bright sunlight blasted his eyes, and instantly he noticed the heat again.

It took a long moment for his eyes to adjust, and he looked out at the scenery with a sinking heart. Before him stretched a large, oval arena, with rows of empty seats all around. Much like a stadium – or like a coliseum. As the only occupants of the stands, a bunch of Black Riders spread out among the seats, all standing at attention like guards.

Kish squinted against the glare, trying to see the person coming out on the other side. He leaned heavily against a pillar, trying to bring the feeling into his legs quickly. It looked like a Black Rider had started across the sandy stadium, holding a big ax like the one Kish held.

Kish swallowed, thinking he knew where this scene headed. So, a tournament made up the final stage. Alone, he would have to face a Black Rider, with no idea where his friends had ended up.

He closed his eyes a moment, tried to ignore the heat, then unfurled his wings and took to the air, soaring over to the Black Rider. It stopped abruptly as Kish came to hover in front of it. Kish almost thought it seemed surprised. Kish clutched the heavy battle ax, with no idea how to use it. He would probably switch to his sais quickly.

The Rider attacked first, swiping at him. He dodged nimbly, but found that the ax hindered his flight and discarded it. He zipped through the air and brought out his sais to go for the rider's back. The thing turned much faster than something with armor should have, and started to slash at his stomach. Then the sunlight caught the metal of his sais and the rider froze in mid swipe, staring. Kish took advantage of the distraction and darted forward, slipping the thin metal of the side through a chink in the armor between the arm and torso.

Strangely, the sai seemed to pass right through the metal, and an all-too-familiar yelp caught Kish's ear. He jerked back, drawing his sai away still dripping with blood. The rider stayed frozen, shuddering. The image of the armor rippled slightly, as though seen through a heat haze. And despite the sufficient heat, Kish felt certain that no heat haze could be blamed.

He zipped into the air, where neither of them could reach the other. Carefully, he withdrew into his core, trying to find the power he had used to blow away Foxfire's spell. If a spell had been used, maybe he could blow it away again.

The air burst to life at his asking, surprisingly eager to move about. Kish drew the wind close to him, whipping about him in a twister, then let it fly outward in a flash of power.

_ Like a leaf,  _ he thought.  _ Blow away the spell like a leaf. _

And the image of the Black Rider vanished below him, revealing Mairead in its place. Kish drew in a breath, a flutter of fear going through him. Had he injured her badly? Would she be okay? But he caught himself before zooming down.

—Mairead? Mairead, is that you—

He felt her sighing with relief in his mind.

—Yes. Yes, it's me—

With relief, Kish zoomed down to meet her, forgetting about his legs and falling down the minute he landed. Mairead dropped down and helped him sit up, her eyes glistening with tears.

“Oh Great Blue, Kish,” she said. “I thought something strange happened in the corridor, but – oh gods. Why didn't I check through our minds?”

“I should've thought of it myself,” Kish said, squeezing her shoulder. “Some sadistic challenge, huh? I bet Yuuto wanted to cut us in half. We might have killed each other.”

Mairead swallowed, and hugged him tightly.

“You're okay, right?” she whispered.

“I'm fine,” Kish said. “Great Blue, Mairead. I'm the one that stabbed you. Are  _ you  _ all right?”

“Oh I'm fine,” Mairead said. “I thought it seemed strange when I saw a Black Rider flying, and then the sais – I should have realized sooner.”

Kish shrugged, and would have said more. But a pair of Black Riders had appeared in the arena and positively radiated the intent to kill.

“Okay, less talking, more fighting,” Kish said. “Let's go.”

“Right,” Mairead said.

She helped him to his feet, and he pushed off into the air. He recalled his sais and dove at the first Black Rider without a second thought. The knight swiped at him with the battle ax, but the large weapon proved too unwieldy to hit a fast moving Kish. He thrust a sai towards a chink in the armor and missed. The weapon screeched uselessly against the armor, and Kish had to jerk back to avoid the swinging ax. 

He dropped to the ground and instantly collapsed under his weak legs. Luckily, he recovered enough to send a blast of wind at the Black Rider and force it back long enough for Kish to surge back to the air. He sent a second flurry of wind. This time the knight held its ground, digging into the sand to keep its footing. It raised its ax above it head. But it would never reach Kish at that distance – 

The ax whistled through the air, and a shocked Kish didn't quite dodge in time. The sharp ax slashed open his shoulder and the flat struck his wing. He spiraled to the ground, and only his winds kept him from the certain death of impact. The rider was on him in a second, and Kish's injured wing could not take him back into the air.

There would be no time to recover – the rider produced a second ax from thin air and slashed down without a thought.

“Ribbon Lettuce Rush!!”

Water smashed into the knight and it went flying back. Lettuce appeared at Kish's side, awkwardly trying to pull his arm over her shoulder.

“Lettuce!” Kish said. “Where did you come from?”

“It took me and Tanya a little while to figure out we were fighting each other,” she said. “When we figured it out, we realized you guys must be somewhere, and Tanya's locator spell brought us to you.”

“Well, I'm glad you showed up! Where's Tanya?”

“She went to help Mairead, I think –”

The rider appeared again, looming over them. Lettuce yelped with surprise, and neither of them could move fast enough. Then Mairead appeared, forcing the creature back. Lettuce hurried as fast as she could while dragging Kish along towards an alcove.

Kendra and Orla shot past them, diving into the fray without noticing them.

“Okay, are you going to be all right?” Lettuce asked.

“I don't know – I can't tell how bad my wing is. And my shoulder's bleeding.”

He glanced out into the stadium. It had filled up quickly, and already it appeared that everyone had made their way in. The number of Black Riders had more than tripled as well. Already, his friends had been pushed back, forming a tight back-to-back circle while trying to hold back the riders all around them.

“We've got to help,” Kish said, pushing himself up.

“But you can't fly or walk –” Lettuce protested.

His legs felt shaky, but Kish thought he could hold himself for a few minutes.

“I need you to clear a path,” he said. “I have to get to the center so I can combo with the others.”

“Like Ichigo does with us?”

“Exactly. Let's hurry – I don't know how long my legs will last.”

Lettuce nodded curtly and shot into the arena. Water flashed from her castanets and bore down on the riders. A path opened up – he had mere seconds before it would close up again.

“Hurry!!” Lettuce shouted.

Kish summoned up all the wind he could muster. Then he let it go in a raging storm that pushed him through the gap just as it closed up. He turned the wind on the riders, sending them flying back towards the walls. Him and the others stood in the eye of the whirlwind he had created, protected from the raging winds while the riders tried not to get blown away.

“Good job, Kish!” Kendra shouted.

Kish's legs crumpled, and the others ran over to him.

“Where's Lettuce?” Ichigo asked.

Kish whipped his head to look for the young girl. She stood safely in an alcove, the wind whipped at her but not yet stealing her away. Lettuce looked up and caught his gaze. She sent him a smile and a thumb's up.

Kish turned to face everyone else.

“Okay, I don't know about you, but I want to finish this right now,” he said. “No more waiting til the last second to pull out the ace – let's take them down  _ now. _ ”

Kendra grinned, and Orla nodded. Ichigo looked around at the Kyaldians, eyes narrowed in confusion.

“What? What are you guys talking about?”

“Just watch, Ichigo,” Kish said. “Okay guys, let's do the Wing Sword. Mairead, can you heal my wing quick, so I can fly?”

Mairead dropped down, and the water spread from her fingers to cover his wing. It would take a few more minutes, and his windstorm had begun to die down.

“Okay, everyone! Lend me you power!”

Green, blue, silver, purple – all four lights zoomed to him, and he reached out to catch them. His own white light shot out to join the colors and a flash of bright light burst in his eyes. When the light dimmed, the sword hung in front of him. He snatched it from the air – not a moment too soon.

His windstorm had vanished. The riders picked themselves up with a speed armored knights should not have. The coolness of Mairead's healing had not yet faded, and Kish looked at her imploringly.

“Are you almost done?” he asked nervously.

“It's bruised pretty badly,” Mairead said. “Just another minute.”

“Buy us some time!” Kish said, looking at the mews.

“No problem!” Ichigo said.

The mews formed a right circle around the Kyaldians, weapons outstretched. Lettuce rushed to join them. The energy waves burst forward, knocking one or two knights back at a time. But the riders merely bounced back, and most of them dodged the attacks entirely. They closed in quickly – ten feet away. Five. Three. Two.

The axes raised up, and the healing slowly started to take effect.

_ No time! _

“Everyone, get into the air! Take the mews!” Kish shouted.

They responded just in time – Taruto snatched Pudding and leapt up. Kendra grabbed Zakuro's hand and yanked her into the sky just before an ax removed the girl's head from her shoulder. Mint soared up on her own, and Mairead pulled Ichigo up and away from an armored hand. Finally, Orla took Lettuce up into the air, and only Kish remained. 

Mairead screamed. The ax moved in slow motion towards Kish's head. But Kish didn't flinch. The energy gathered in the sword, and the words ripped from his throat.

“Ribbon Wing Strike!!”

The rainbow colored feathered dragon burst to life, surging into the sky with a wave of energy that flattened Kish to the ground. The riders flew back from him. Then the dragon came back down. In a whirlwind of color and energy, it swirled around the coliseum and snapped the Black Riders into tiny pieces. Bits of armor fell to the ground, whatever had been inside vanished.

The dragon paused, its duty over. Then it faded away into the sunlight, leaving only debris as a sign that it had ever been. The sword vanished from Kish's limp hand, and he lay on the ground. He heaved in a giant breath. Then a laugh bubbled from his throat. The others dropped from the ground, and he found himself heaved up into a giant group hug.

“We did it!”

“Oh gods Kish!”

“Hooray nanoda!!”

“I'm going to sleep for a week after this!”

“Nice going, Kish!”

“Great teamwork everyone!”

Kish laughed, exhausted and exhilarated all at the same time. Mairead kissed him, and for a moment, he was lost in sweet bliss.

But then something occurred to him. Yuuto's image had not appeared. No voice had spoken, signaling the end of the stage. No door opened up back to Leoti's shop.

A feeling of dread wormed its way into his stomach.

_ Nothing was ever this easy. _

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a piece of armor start to move across the ground. Others had started to move as well, coming towards the far end of the coliseum. They seemed to be...attaching to each other...and building something...

Zakuro noticed as well, and instantly starting breaking everyone apart.

“Get back!” she shouted.

“Everyone  _ move _ !” Kish shouted. “It's not over! It's not over!”

Everyone broke out of the great group hug and hurried to face the giant thing forming at the end of stadium. Not a moment too soon.

Before them stood the biggest thing Kish had ever seen – a giant, pig-like creature of black steel, tusks made of axes poking from a giant mouth made of shields. A loud, metallic roar sounded across the stadium, and Kish clapped his hands over his ears as the sound screeched into his brain.

Then the giant steel hand with claws made of axes swiped across the stadium, scattering the mews and Kyaldians instantly. Kish flew through the air and smashed against the wall, his wings crumpling behind him. Pain lanced down his spine, and he was pretty sure he had broken something in his wing. He didn't even want to think about how long that would take to heal without Mairead right there.

Kish slumped against the wall, his legs too shaky to stand on. At this point, his wings didn't feel too bad. But he knew the moment he tried to move them, the pain would shoot through him again.

The armor monster moved its great big head around slowly. Its tiny black eyes apparently couldn't see well – maybe that could be used to their advantage.

_ Everyone! Can you all hear me? What's our damage assessment? _

Tanya answered first.

_ I might have twisted my ankle, and Pudding-chan hit her head, so she's dizzy. _

_ Don't let her move,  _ Kendra ordered.  _ She might have a concussion. I came out all right. Zakuro's fine too, but one of Mint's wings looks pretty bad, and she's a little scratched up. _

_ I'm mostly fine,  _ Ichigo said.  _ I just scraped my elbows. Masaya sprained his ankle. _

_ Orla's unconscious,  _ Lettuce said.  _ I think I broke my leg. _

_ You only think?  _ Ichigo said sarcastically.  _ Lettuce, I can see how grossly out of place that is from over here. _

_ Mairead's unconscious, too,  _ Taruto said.  _ I hit my head, but I think I'm okay. Pai snapped his wrist; he can't hold a sword. _

Dang. With Mairead unconscious, they had no healer.

The armor monster seemed confused by the silence, and in the shadows at the edge of the arena, they were all but invisible.

_ Okay, anyone got any other aces in the hole left?  _ Kish asked.

_ I might!  _ Ichigo said excitedly.  _ Masaya and I can do a combo. We'll try that. _

_ Isn't his ankle sprained? _

_ He says he doesn't have to stand to shoot energy at something as big as Mt. Fuji. _

Kish laughed softly.

_ Okay, go for it. Try not to let it see you. You only have one shot. _

Kish felt Ichigo acknowledge his thoughts, and he felt a slight rise in energy some ways off. He shifted to get a better view and the pain shot down his spine. He decided to just stay still. It didn't matter anyway. He could easily see the mixture of blue and pink light flaring at the other side of the coliseum. The energy bore down on the monster's back, a swirling sword that promised to slice the creature in half. For a moment, Kish felt positive that it would work.

But it didn't – the attack sunk uselessly into the black armor. The creature slowly turned around to face where the attack had come, and its great mouth opened up. Kish could just see a mixture of blue and pink light starting to form inside of it – and he suddenly knew what was happening.

Remembering Masaya's sprained ankle, Kish sent a force of wind into the area he thought Ichigo and Masaya must be. Feeling their forms, he pushed harder and lifted the pair into the air, tumbling in the wind to touch gently down out of the way of their own blast headed directly for them.

_ Thanks Kish,  _ Ichigo said, her mental voice shaking.  _ Neither of us expected that. _

_ Now what? _ Kendra said.  _ Anyone have any  _ other  _ aces? Preferably ones that can't be absorbed? _

_ If I could just blow it away, I would,  _ Kish said.  _ But the force for that would require a lot more wind than any of us could withstand. I might kill all of us. _

_ How about somebody lets their attack get absorbed, then I can copy it and shoot it back at the monster? _ Tanya said.

_ That might cause an explosion – we can't risk that. Any other ideas? _ Kendra asked.

Silence. No one had any ideas. Kish's heart started to sink. They really would die here.

Kish didn't have a choice anymore. He would have to try to blow it away.

_ Okay, everyone grab hold of something. I'm going to try and blow it – _

His sais glinted into the sunlight, and the monster's eyes flashed to him. Instantly the great mouth was open, a great swirling darkness inside. Just when Kish felt certain that some form of Ichigo and Masaya's combo would come out and kill him, a great force yanked him into the air.

Someone cried out as he shot helplessly through the air, tumbling into the giant swirling darkness within the creature's mouth.

_ Great. I'm going to die as someone's dinner. _

Then he tumbled inside, instantly surrounded in impenetrable darkness.

He had expected to hit metal, but he hit nothing at all. He merely floated in the darkness, born through a space that had to be much bigger than the creature had actually been. Nothing changed. Had he been able to feel his hand and move it, Kish felt certain that he wouldn't have been able to see it in front of his face. But he couldn't feel any part of his body. It felt like this darkness around him was more like nothingness.

Then a low, sad keen filled his ears, bringing tears to his eyes. Soft crying and sobbing came from all directions, words in other languages pleaded with him. The loud wail of a baby pierced through him. Then suddenly light spilled out all around him, and he realized that he was gasping for breath.

“Kish!” Kendra's voice seemed far away.

“Kish! Hey Kish!”

Ichigo appeared to be there too.

His vision cleared slowly. He sat in the shadow of the coliseum walls, Kendra on one side and Ichigo on the other. Lettuce stood in front of him, and Tanya sat a few feet off next to a dazed looking Pudding.

“What happened?” Kish asked.

“The monster ate you. It looked like it was filled with shadows, so I just pulled at them and made him throw up,” Kendra said.

“Oh. Sounds lovely.”

“Oh shut up. I saved your life.”

“Ugh,” Kish groaned, his head buzzing. “Something seemed weird in there.”

“Like what?” Ichigo asked.

“Like nothingness,” Kish said. “Except for sadness. I guess those are the lost souls, like Mairead said before.”

Ichigo's eyes suddenly widened.

“Wait – the lost souls are sad?”

“Yeah, I guess they would be. Why?”

Ichigo looked excited now.

“I think we can pull this off! I need to make sure Pudding is awake enough to help with this combo. Kendra, cover me!”

Kendra nodded, and the shadows jumped up to make Ichigo virtually invisible. A few moments later, she returned, eyes bright with fervor.

“Kish, can you link me up with the other mews? I can't talk telepathically unless one of the Kyaldians opens their mind for me.”

Kish nodded, a bit confused. He opened up his mind and found the rest of the mews, linking them up with Ichigo.

_ Everyone! I need you to lend me your power! I'm going to do what I did with the snakes! _

_ Good idea, Ichigo!  _ Lettuce thought.

Not another word was needed. Four lights appeared, zooming to Ichigo. The monster saw them and slowly started to face them, its mouth starting to open.

“Hurry, Ichigo!” Kish said. “It's going to swallow us!”

Ichigo ignored him, combining the lights together in her hands. Her Strawberry Bell appeared in her fingers – but it seemed different. Bigger. Wings sprouted from the top, and the power that surrounded it was practically physical. Yet it did not feel overwhelming. It seemed softer, kinder.

The force began to pull them towards the creature, but Ichigo had already raised her weapon, pointing it directly towards the creature's mouth.

“Ribbon Strawberry Check Healing!” 

A soft pink breeze flew from the center of the weapon, filtering into the beast's mouth. Instantly it snapped its mouth shut, stumbling back. A loud metallic screech filled the air for a split second – then the thing exploded into a million tiny pieces. 

Kish snapped his eyes shut against the dust. When he opened them again, the monster had completely vanished. The sun's glare seemed a little less oppressive; the heat had subsided. Ichigo quivered, and her weapon disappeared.

“We won that time, right?” she asked nervously.

For a long moment, nothing happened. Then a rush of power surged through Kish. The tinglies vanished from his legs, his wings popped painfully into place, and he slowly, slowly, stood on his own two feet.

The others slowly filtered over to them, tired, but filled with the rush of power similar to what Kish had found. Mairead hugged him, and despite his full recovery he nearly fell over from the force of her hug. Everyone seemed to be okay – no major injuries. For a moment, Kish felt worried – there had been no announcement of the end of the stage.

Then an image flickered to life before them, and Yuuto stood there with a huge grin on his face. This was no prerecorded message, though the young yokai was still not really there.

“You guys did it!” he said. “I told Ren you'd make it!”

Ren's voice floated through the hologram.

“All right, all right, I admit it. I owe you ten shrell.”

Kish couldn't help but roll his eyes. However, Yuuto couldn't be more excited.

“You guys passed  _ Shinumaze  _ with no fatalities! And trust me, that's hard to do, even for high level demons!”

“Oh thanks,” Orla grumbled.

Yuuto ignored her.

“I see you're back to normal, Kish,” he said. “Good job. The rest of you will probably experience some boost or change in your powers. That's the prize of finishing the game.”

“Cool,” said Tanya.

“Okay, go on through the door back to Leoti's shop. I'll meet you guys there and explain things a bit better.”

“Sounds great to me,” Kish said. “I could use an explanation.”

The door opened, and the sight of Leoti's shop had never been more welcoming.

* * *

Yuuto turned away from the hologram, barely able to contain his excitement. They had done it! They had actually done it! Even Deep Blue had had more trouble when he completed the games centuries ago!! Maybe, just maybe, the Kyaldians would actually do it this time and destroy Deep Blue for good!

Yuuto turned around excitedly to talk to Ren before he went to meet the Kyaldians. But someone else stood there. Yuuto froze, staring into burning red eyes, and for a moment, he thought Kolora had found him. But it was much, much worse.

Azulda smiled a slow, mirthless smile.

“Well, well, well, little yokai. Thought you could go right under my nose, didn't you?”

Yuuto had lost the ability to speak. Fear pulsed through his veins and his heart threatened to stop. The oppressive presence of her threatened to force him to the ground.

“But y-you – you're – ”

“Dead? Why yes, I am. I slipped you into my bubble, as it were. Only here can I appear in a physical form. Until I get my body back, of course.”

Yuuto could not move as the tall yokai woman ran a long finger down his face.

“Actually, you did remarkably well. I needed the human girl to learn that technique. And Jun's little descendent was no use to me paralyzed.”

Yuuto's breaths came in short, shuddering gasps. Would she kill him? Was this where he would die?

Azulda smiled again, this time with some kind of sadistic, primeval happiness.

“Now, I'm a little shaky on the details about this time frame.”

A long sapphire sword brushed Yuuto's neck. Cold dread spread down his spine.

“And you're going to give me the information I need.”


	47. Yuuto's Arrival – A Warning of Doom

Of course, Kish's parents were angry with him for leaving on another dangerous mission without telling them (actually, only Kelda was angry. Fen was quite proud of his son but Kelda had to chew him out for that). But the storm blew over quickly when they saw that he could walk again, albeit a bit shakily. In the chaos that reigned in the moments after their return, it was hard to find a place to sit down and relax after the ordeal of Shinumaze.

Erinda was clamoring for details, and Chantilly just wanted to know how she hadn't been brought into the game too. She had some choice words to say about Yuuto, which Tanya quickly started to argue with.

Kish was trying to escape his mother's suffocating hug when he realized something. Hadn't Yuuto said he would be here to explain things? Was he only waiting for the commotion to die down? Kish managed to squirm away from his mother and slipped over to Mairead.

“Mairead – correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Yuuto say he'd be here?”

Mairead blinked, her smile slowly fading into a thoughtful look.

“He did, didn't he?” she said. “I wonder where he is?”

Kish shrugged, looking around for some sign of the yokai boy. Nothing.

A cold feeling wormed its way into his stomach – despite the excuses he made in his mind, that Yuuto was just waiting for them to calm down, that in the end he hadn't been able to slip away, that maybe Kish had just heard him wrong – something felt wrong.

As everyone started to calm down, moving into small groups to talk quietly amongst themselves, Kish slipped out in the hall. Looking to make sure his parents hadn't seen him, he padded softly into the main room of the shop. Silence hung around the room as thick as the dust that covered all of Leoti's collections. He wondered briefly where Leoti had found all of these objects, and why she had decided to keep them.

He moved behind her desk, glancing at the massive piles of papers, books and other random objects that covered every inch of it. How could she find anything in here?

Kish picked up a little brown book and absentmindedly flipped it to the first page. Large, shaky handwriting with blots of ink titled the first page, as though written by small hands. The words quickly sparked Kish's interest

_ This is the private diary of Leoti Azarola Santos, age 9. This is for authorized eyes only so KEEP OUT! _

Kish almost couldn't stop himself from laughing. How much like a normal young girl she sounded! It was almost impossible to believe that Leoti had ever been a normal little girl.

Feeling a bit guilty about snooping, but too interested to turn away, Kish flipped to the next page.

_ January 21 _ _ st _

_ Mom took me to the library today!! There are so many books! I want to read all of them! Chantilly got bored, though. She only wanted to find movies. Mom had to make me leave some books behind for next time cause I had too many. _

It was so normal that it was almost disappointing. Kish flipped a few more pages.

_ March 18 _ _ th _

_ Erin came back from Ireland! She told me and Chantilly stories about leprechauns she says she met. I'm not sure whether I can believe her. _

Leoti, not believing in leprechauns? Now that was surprising, no matter how young she had been.

_ May 14 _ _ th _

_ I had a scary dream last night. I was running with my real dad through a forest and some mean people were shooting arrows at us. Then one of them hit him in the shoulder and he started bleeding! It was really scary. I wish I remembered my real dad better. _

That's right, Leoti had been adopted, hadn't she? Kish was a little surprised that she remembered her real father at all.

_ November 25 _ _ th _

_ I had the nightmare about my real dad again. But then I had another scary dream. There were all these people sitting around a table and they were arguing about something. I can't remember all of them, but I think there was a brown haired boy with big ears, and a blond haired girl with small pointed ears. Then there was a really old lady with bright blue eyes and really big ears. I could feel that something was really scary outside the room, but then a big purple rabbit jumped onto the table and I felt safer, for some reason. The rabbit looked at me, and when our eyes met I thought it felt...right, somehow. _

Huh. Curious, Kish flipped through the last few pages. No more strange dreams popped up, but on the last written on page Kish found something that interested him further.

_ December 20 _ _ th _

_ Mom and dad took me and Chantilly to the holiday walk to see Santa Claus. I told him that I wanted a purple rabbit. He looked at me funny. I don't think he was the real Santa after all. _

Kish laughed softly and continued reading.

_ We were going to look at the gingerbread house, but I got separated from mom and dad and Chantilly. I got really scared all by myself. I ran around, trying to find the gingerbread house and I ran into someone. When I fell down, she helped me up. It was a really old lady, and she had a scary scar across her eyes – and really big ears like in my dream. _

Kish drew in a breath. That old fortuneteller? She just kept popping up everywhere!

_ She asked me what my name was, but I'm not supposed to talk to strangers so I didn't tell her. Then the purple rabbit jumped from her shoulder, and it felt right again. He told me his name was Anzu. I really really liked him, so I gave him a hug. When I looked up again, the old lady was gone. But Anzu stayed. He came home with me. Mom and dad can't see him, but Chantilly and Erin can. I feel really safe and happy when I'm with Anzu. _

Nothing more was written in the book. So it was true – Leoti really had bonded with Anzu. No wonder Anzu refused to eat anymore. Kish put the book down and wondered where the little rabbit had gone off to. He hoped Anzu was all right.

Then someone appeared in front of the shop and Kish ducked instinctively behind the desk. Cautiously, he peeked over the top. Ren stood outside, looking back and forth frantically.

_ That's right,  _ Kish thought.  _ Ren can't see the shop, now that he doesn't have an invitation. _

Buoyed by this thought, Kish stood up without fear of being seen. Ren looked even more frantic now walking back and forth with his eyes always just sliding off of the shop. Kish walked over to the window, trying to figure out what the yokai was up to. What was he trying to do, anyway?

“D'Arvit!”

Kish could just barely hear Ren's words through the glass.

“D'Arvit! Where is the D'Arving shop!”

Kish's phone rang in his pocket and he froze. Luckily, it appeared that Ren could not hear him, and Kish extracted the phone from his pocket.

“Hello?”

“Kish?” came Ryou's voice. “Kish, is everything okay at the shop?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Ren was just here. He didn't find us, but he crashed around yelling if the mews were here. Something about if Yuuto was here.”

Kish froze. What about Yuuto? Was Yuuto missing?

“Yeah, we're fine. Ren's storming around outside, trying to find the shop. But he can't see it.”

“Okay. Don't let him in – I don't know what he's up to.”

“Like I would.”

Kish hung up. His hand hovered over the door handle. He had said he wouldn't let him in, but he never said anything about not going out. But he hesitated. Ren was pretty strong – could Kish handle him if the yokai decided to attack? Kish finally decided that his friends were only a few feet down the hall and he could contact them mentally if need be. He clutched the handle and pulled the door open.

Ren's eyes snapped to him almost instantly, and Kish only barely had the time to close the door. Ren shot at him, grabbing his shoulders.

“Kish!” he said. “Is Yuuto here? Have you seen Yuuto?”

Kish pulled out of Ren's grip.

“I haven't seen him since Shinumaze ended about five minutes ago,” Kish said. “What are you up to?”

“D'Arvit, Kyaldian! I'm not up to anything! Yuuto said he was going to come here after Shinumaze and explain what's going on to you guys. But he vanished, and I've lost contact!”

Ren's face was flushed with agitation, but Kish was mostly surprised with the flash of fear going across Ren's eyes.

“Why are you so worried? Yuuto can take care of himself.”

“Not if Deep Blue figured out what we're up to, defying the contract! Yuuto could be  _ dead.  _ Dead!”

Kish took a step back, not wanting to be in the way if Ren exploded.

“Calm down,” Kish said.

“I can't calm down! D'Arvit, Kish! My little brother could be dead!”

It took a split second for Kish to register what Ren had said.

“Your  _ brother _ ?”

Ren whipped around and punched a wall. The bricks cracked and crumbled on impact, and Ren winced. He stepped back to cradle his injured hand.

“Yeah,” he said. “Yeah.”

“You guys?  _ Brothers _ ?”

“Not even Yuuto knows. I only found out a few years ago.”

Kish didn't quite know what to say to that.

“Okay. What happened?”

Ren took in a deep breath.

“Yuuto was going to go to the shop and tell you about what we're trying to do. I couldn't come with because I don't have an invitation into the shop. But just when he turned away from the communicator – he vanished.”

“That's it? He didn't teleport?”

“No. Not a ripple or rent to be seen.”

“Nothing else happened?”

A pang of fear shot across Ren's face.

“For a minute, I thought I saw his eyes flash with terror. Then he was gone like that. And I had this cold feeling of dread in my stomach – ”

A loud yelp came from behind Kish and Mairead shot outside next to Kish, practically quivering with magic.

“What's going on?” she said, eyes bright with fright and determination.

“Mairead, it's okay!” Kish said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “I think it's all right.”

Orla came next, and soon everyone had poured out into the street. Kish felt glad for the late hour and the remote location of the shop. No one walked the streets, and so didn't see their strange group.

“What's he doing here?” Orla said, eyes flaring with anger.

“Geez. Cool off,” Ren grumbled. “I'm just looking for Yuuto.”

“Yuu-kun?” Tanya said, looking worried. “Is he okay?”

“I don't know.”

Kish felt that his friends and family needed an explanation, so he turned to explain what Ren had told him.

“Are we supposed to trust you?” Mint said after Kish had finished.

“I don't know, are you?” Ren said sarcastically. “I'm just trying to find my little brother.”

“You're a yokai. Why do you even care about your family?” Orla said.

“Your knowledge of yokai seems to be limited, wraithling,” Ren said. “Yes, demons have weaker family links than you do, but that doesn't stop all of us. I hid the fact that we were brothers for a reason.”

Orla seemed unsatisfied with this, and crossed her arms.

“Listen, I just need to find Yuuto, and I'll leave you guys alone for as long as Deep Blue will allow me,” Ren said.

Erin stepped forward, eyes narrowed.

“Swear that if we help you find Yuuto, you will not harm any of us.”

Ren didn't even hesitate.

“I swear by the blood of Ragnarok, I will not harm any of you if you help me find Yuuto,” he said. “But bear in mind, I'm still contracted to Deep Blue. If he finds out what's happening and orders me to attack you, I won't have a choice.”

Erinda nodded, a look of satisfaction on her face.

“All right, we'll have to split up,” she said. “Use any locator spells you can think of.”

Tanya and Mairead attached themselves to Kish, and Lettuce joined his group as well. Kish was surprised at the look of relief that passed across Ren's face.

“Thank you,” he said, closing his eyes with relief. “Thank you.”

* * *

_ Kish _

Ren tried to contact Yuuto for about a half hour after the other groups had dispersed. With no luck on that part, Tanya suggested using her crystal locator spell again. It seemed the best course of action, so the little girl squeezed her eyes shut, spoke the words, then smiled brightly and scampered off in the direction she decided on.

“Does this spell actually work?” Ren asked, after they took the hundredth turn through the alleys of Tokyo.

“It always has before!” Tanya called back. “But I think he might be moving, so that's why it's taking a while.”

“Well, if he's moving, he might be okay, right?” Kish said.

Ren's lips pressed into a thin line, obviously not convinced. Kish decided not to push it. It already felt weird to be working together with the yokai that had, on numerous occasions, tried to kill him.

Suddenly Tanya skidded to a stop and Kish almost tripped over.

“Tanya, are you all right? What happened –”

Kish's words froze halfway out of his mouth. Mairead's sharp gasp echoed behind him, and Lettuce's eyes widened. 

Yuuto lay still on the ground. Bloody stains grew from various places on his body. Every now and then, a low shudder passed through his small frame, and his eyes squeezed shut so tightly it seemed as if some nightmare trapped him. His left leg lay at a sickening angle, and a strange, blue-black bruise covered his lower right arm.

Ren moved first, darting forward and grabbing Yuuto by the shoulders.

“Yuuto! Yuuto!”

The fear that colored Ren's voice didn't seem to belong, and Kish once again felt surprised at the yokai's range of emotion. But Yuuto didn't seem about to awaken. His small fangs pierced into his lip and drew blood that slowly trickled down his chin. But still Ren shook him, as though the younger yokai was merely asleep.

“Ren, that's not going to help!” Lettuce said suddenly. “We have to get him back to the shop – Erinda can heal him!”

Ren forced himself to stop and take a breath. Then he carefully scooped Yuuto into his arms and stood up. Yuuto seemed so much smaller in Ren's arms, and an unbidden rush of worry rushed through Kish. How could he possibly have thought of either of these yokai as enemies? If not for the contract...he didn't know how things might have happened.

“Okay, let's go,” Ren said. “But I can't teleport into the shop.”

Kish took the initiative on this one.

“Okay. Ren, I give you permission to enter Leoti's shop for as long as you don't hurt anyone or are ordered to hurt anyone.”

Ren gave a forced smile of appreciation, and the group stepped into the air, returning to the shop. Kish quickly contacted the others, and everyone filtered back into the shop.

The reaction was immediate. Erinda led Ren to a back room where they laid Yuuto on the bed and Erinda started muttering some words of power. Ren stood anxiously over her until she shooed him away. Unable to take the suspense, the yokai teleported away to some place unknown to Kish.

Erinda quickly shooed everyone else out of the room except for Mairead and Kendra. Those left outside hovered outside the door, not quite sure what to do. After all, their main enemies had been given permission to enter their stronghold, and one of them was badly injured. The sense of good versus evil had been completely wiped away. Kish didn't know what to think anymore.

There was nothing to do but wait.

The mews slowly drifted home. The Kyaldians hung around the shop, looking at Leoti's odd assortment of items over and over again. Orla started reading. Meav paced the room until finally she transformed into a cat and left to wander some alleyway. Pai and Hailie sat beside each other, clasping hands without looking at each other, and Kelda and Fen had drifted away to another room. Kish flipped through Leoti's journal again, and Tanya tried to convince a thin, haggard Anzu to eat something. Taruto hung upside down in the air, absentmindedly playing with a piece of lint on the ground.

Finally, a tired looking Erinda reentered the room and Kish sat up expectantly at the exact same time as everyone else.

“Is he okay?” Tanya squeaked.

Erinda sighed and sat down.

“He'll live,” she said. “Whoever attacked him didn't want him dead.”

“How so?” Pai asked.

Erinda pushed a hand through her hair.

“He was stabbed four times in various places, but each time it missed a vital organ or artery. It's too precise to be merely luck – someone knew what they were doing.”

A chill settled in Kish's stomach.

“His leg was broken as well, and he has various burns. But those were fixed quite easily. I can't figure out why he hasn't woken up...though the bruise on his arm suggests that he might have been poisoned.”

Tanya squeaked, eyes wide with terror.

“It's all right, Tanya. I scanned for any deadly poisons, and whatever it was isn't fatal. Mairead and Kendra are still finishing the basic scans. I just thought you all would probably like to have an update.”

“Can I see him?” Tanya said.

Everyone looked at her, but she didn't seem to notice. The worry appeared evident on her face, and Kish wondered just how often those two had met up since they had seen each other underground.

Erinda broke down under Tanya's hopeful gaze.

“Yes, you can. Just don't get in Mairead's or Kendra's way, all right?”

Tanya had already zoomed down the hall. Erinda smiled softly.

“It's going to be all right,” she said, trying to reassure the people in the room. “He's going to live.”

But that didn't relieve Kish. Despite being glad for Yuuto's recovery, and that they might get the explanation they needed soon, the idea of someone torturing him was too disturbing to contemplate. Yuuto had already been their enemy. If he had been found out by Deep Blue, he probably would have been killed. That could only mean one thing.

Someone else had entered the picture. And they didn't seem to be friendly.

Suddenly a scream pierced down the hallway. Kish was on his feet in a heartbeat and down the hall. He burst through the door to where Yuuto was, the others close behind. 

Kendra and Mairead were trying to restrain a struggling Yuuto as Tanya stumbled back and fell back onto the floor with wide, tear-filled eyes. Yuuto's eyes had opened, wide but blank with an unnatural blue sheen. Kish ran over and took Mairead's place holding one of Yuuto's arms.

“What happened?”

“He attacked Tanya!!” Kendra said. “He's going through some kind of seizure!”

The yokai boy convulsed again, trying to rip free of the people holding him. Kish clutched the boy's arm, nearly losing him once or twice. Then Yuuto started to scream, flailing and kicking.

“Yuuto-kun!” Tanya yelled through her tears. “Yuuto-kun! It's okay! It's okay!”

Erinda pushed her way through the Kyaldians swarming the door, eyes flashing with recognition.

“D'Arvit,” she swore. “ _ Naitsheen. _ That's the poison they used.”

“What do we do?” Kish said.

“We can't do anything until the poison runs its course! Someone find a piece of cloth or something – he's going to bite his tongue off!”

Kendra found a wooden dowel in the first aid kit and shoved it between Yuuto's fangs. It cut off his screams and he bit hard into the wood. Kish felt certain he would bite through it in a few minutes. Kish lost track of time by the time Yuuto finally calmed down and fell back into a deep coma.

He carefully stepped away from the boy letting out a short sigh of relief.

“What happened to him?” he said softly.

“ _ Naitsheen.  _ It's a hallucinatory drug that puts the victim into a living nightmare. But it's made from very rare plants that only grow in a single spot in  _ between _ . I can't imagine how anyone got a hold of it,” Erinda said, brow creased with worry.

“Will he act up again?” Mairead asked nervously.

Erinda shook her head.

“The worst part is over now. The nightmares may continue, though.”

As if to prove Erinda's point, Yuuto whimpered in his sleep. Kish turned to find tears starting to slide down the boy's cheeks.

“Please,” he whispered. “Please, stop. No – no. Please, no more!”

Tanya whimpered again, then crawled over to clutch Yuuto's hand.

“It's okay, Yuuto-kun,” she said. “You're not in a scary place anymore.”

Inexplicably, the words seemed to calm Yuuto. His expression relaxed, and his chest began to rise and fall in a steady, normal pattern. Erinda breathed out with relief.

“It's over,” she said. “The poison ran its course. He'll sleep the effects off and be fine be morning.”

Most everyone was reassured, and slowly began to filter back to their rooms. Kish left last, and as he stepped out of the door, he glanced back to see Tanya, still sitting beside Yuuto's bed and clutching his hand. He thought about saying something. But it seemed too important a moment to break with words. So he closed the door softly and stepped into the quiet hall.

Erinda still stood outside, looking worn, and much older than Kish remembered her.

“So he's going to be okay, right?” Kish asked her.

Erinda nodded slowly.

“Yes, I believe so. Though I'm a little worried about what that might mean for us.”

Kish understood – healing the person they had at one time been for sure enemies with.

“Do you think he's going to attack us?”

“Tanya's invitation will probably expel him from the shop if he tries to do it purposefully. When he attacked Tanya, the hallucinations had convinced him that someone else stood in her place, so it didn't force him out then.”

Kish shook his head – the science of warding magic always confused him. Erinda turned her head towards the door, eyes tired but wary.

“The problem is that Yuuto's still under a contract. If Deep Blue finds out Yuuto's secret, it could mean disaster for both him and us.”

“Can't we break that contract somehow?”

Erinda leaned back.

“I don't think so. Three kinds of contract can be used for demons: Power, Wish, and Service. Power contracts were popular among human witches. In that, the yokai was on top and lent the witch power in return for some favor, and the yokai could end the contract at any time. Obviously, Yuuto's contract is not this one.”

“What about Wish and Service?”

“Wish contracts are one time deals, and usually are completed with weaker demons rather than the high level demons of power contracts. The yokai is in charge of those, too, as the summoner merely asks for a single favor in exchange for something the yokai wants. But the contract is finished quickly and both go their separate ways afterward. From what Tanya told me, I think Yuuto believed he was signing a Wish contract.”

“But it was a Service?”

“Yes. His aura confirms this.”

“But what is a Service contract?”

Erinda looked even older in that moment.

“Yuuto will have no choice but to serve Deep Blue's wishes until Deep Blue sees fit to break the contract.”

So Kish's fears had not been unwarranted, then. Yuuto would remain their enemy until Deep Blue died.

* * *

_ Tanya _

Tanya heard every word outside the door – perhaps Erinda had not known that Tanya had stayed behind. Maybe the fairy woman had believed her words too soft to be heard. But Tanya heard them all, and the tears began to fill her eyes.

“Yuuto-kun,” she whispered. “Yuuto-kun.”

He shifted in his sleep, looking so peaceful. Tanya squeezed his hand gently and wiped her tears with her free hand.

“Don't you dare be a bad guy anymore, Yuuto-kun,” she whispered, though she knew Yuuto had no choice.

Her vision blurred with the wetness of her eyes.

“I don't want you to be a bad guy anymore, Yuuto-kun. I want you to be my friend.”

Three tears fell from her eyes and landed, one after the other, onto Yuuto's cheek. The room lightened slightly, though Tanya didn't notice. Already her heavy eyelids were beginning to close. She fell gratefully into a deep, peaceful sleep.

* * *

_ Yuuto _

He woke up gently, feeling better than he ever had before. But the ceiling looked wrong: what had happened to the swirling green sky of the between realm? Where had this wood above his head come from?

His head felt a bit fuzzy as he tried to remember what had happened.  _ Shinumaze.  _ Had that happened yet? Yes, it had. The mews and Kyaldians had passed all the tests. He had to explain to them now what his plans led to, and warn them about – 

Memories suddenly crashed down around him – Azulda standing before him in all her oppressive aura, her presence alone threatening to crush him. The lightning coursing across his skin, the blade piercing into him and twisting, the dark goddess taking one of his own poisons and injecting hallucinatory venom into his veins –

For a moment, the ghost pains and memories of nightmares threatened to overwhelm him. Then he realized that he felt no pain at all. His legs appeared to be asleep, however...

Carefully, Yuuto sat up. Tanya sat in the chair next to the bed, the top half of her body sprawled across his legs. No wonder his legs were asleep.

Had the Kyaldians found him? So what had happened to Azulda? Had she actually not killed him? Yuuto knew there was no possible way that the Kyaldians would have been able to fight that menacing presence – so the dark goddess must have left him alive. But why? What purpose did she expect to use him for? The very idea of playing right into Azulda's hands terrified him. She could have orchestrated this entire thing. Maybe she had  _ wanted  _ him to find the Kyaldians – but for what purpose?

Tanya stirred slightly in her sleep, and Yuuto's heart slowed. Her gentle, steady breaths calmed him for some reason. Some tangible he could cling to, rather than the possibilities.

She looked so peaceful. Generally, there always seemed to be some expression on her face, whether it be joy, playfulness or anger. She was extremely easy to read. But now, eyes closed and mouth slightly open to draw in soft breaths, she looked the very picture of serenity. Yuuto envied her deep sleep – he had not slept well ever since signing a contract with Deep Blue. In fact, if Deep Blue found out where he was right now –

Yuuto tried to ignore the thoughts going through his mind, but they wouldn't stop – if Deep Blue knew where he was, he would order Yuuto to kill Tanya.

But then a very strange feeling came over him. He felt somehow lighter. Like a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders. What was this feeling?

Tanya stirred, and her eyes opened sleepily.

“Oh, Yuuto-kun. You're awake.”

She sat up, rubbing her eyes groggily.

“Yeah, so are you,” Yuuto said, smiling slightly. “What happened?”

“Kish-oniichan and Ren-oniisan found you hurt and brought you back here. Then Erinda-san healed you.”

“Wait – hold up.  _ Ren  _ asked for  _ help _ ?”

“Uh-huh.”

Yuuto sat back, dumbfounded. Ren would never go that far to help him – or would he? Lately Ren had been acting a little strange, and overly concerned about making sure their plans weren't discovered. Was it possible that Ren was becoming more serious about this than Yuuto had thought?

“So where am I? Leoti's shop?”

“Yeah. Are you feeling okay, Yuuto-kun?”

Yuuto nodded – he felt a lot better than fine. It felt as if he had just escaped a hot, stuffy room and plunged into a pool of cool water. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so...what? Weightless? That was the word.

But there were more important matters to take into account. He had to explain to the Kyaldians what was happening before it was too late.

“Tanya. I need to talk to everyone. Where can I find them?”

Tanya jumped up.

“Everyone's out in the main room, and Kish-oniichan can call Ichigo-oneechan and the others right away. Do you need help getting up?”

Yuuto was already sliding tentatively out of bed, testing his legs. They held much better than Yuuto had expected – he really was completely cured.

“Okay, let's go. The sooner the better.”

* * *

_ Kish _

Yuuto seemed as healthy as ever – actually, even healthier than ever before. Kish couldn't help but feel surprised after seeing him in such a state before. The young boy almost seemed to glow, and his eyes were bright with determined fervor.

“So what's the deal, Yuuto?” Orla asked. “What was the whole idea about sending us into that dumb maze of challenges?”

“Shinumaze was an old yokai contest designed to weed out the weak and increase the powers of those that survived,” Yuuto said. “I'll have you know that your version was about half the difficulty of the original games, so you should thank me.”

“Thank you for almost getting us killed?” Kendra said. “I'll lay off just because you were injured last night, but mark my words, you try something like that again and I will personally remove your head from your shoulders.”

Tanya jumped up, eyes wide and pleading. But Yuuto cut over her before she could speak.

“I'll take that into consideration. The point is, none of you were prepared to take on Deep Blue at your level. The only way to increase your abilities in a short amount of time was Shinumaze.”

Kendra pursed her lips, not appeared to be convinced.

“Yuuto,” Kish said. “Why are you helping us anyway?”

Yuuto looked away, but not before Kish had caught a pang of hurt in the young boy's eyes.

“Well, mostly it's a selfish wish. If you guys can kill Deep Blue, that breaks my contract. But I'll admit, you guys have kind of grown on me.”

“What's stopping you from killing Deep Blue yourself?” Mint asked.

“Well, aside from the fact that he's a murderous, three-million-year-old god?” Yuuto said sarcastically. “My contract forbids terminating the contract on my own in any way. Since killing him breaks the contract, any attempt to kill him directly will result in my own death. It's standard contract stuff.”

“Okay, okay,” Kish said. “I think we've established by now that Yuuto is not going to kill us all. You said that you had to warn us of something.”

The sudden, unrestrained terror that flashed across Yuuto's face was enough to terrify Kish. The young boy swallowed and recomposed himself before speaking.

“You said that you found me injured,” he said. “I can only barely remember what happened. What I do remember...”

Terror flashed in his eyes again, and it looked as though he might tremble to pieces.

“What?” Orla said. “Who attacked you?”

Tanya moved to Yuuto's side, looking worried. Yuuto managed to get a hold of himself enough to answer.

“Azulda.”

Kish felt the room go cold around him. The terrified silence was enough to tell him that the others also remembered what Ryou and Leoti had told them of Azulda. It was true – the dark goddess was back. And she planned to use them to revive herself.

“But she's a spirit, isn't she?” Lettuce choked out. “How could she attack you?”

It took a moment for Yuuto to answer.

“In some spaces between spaces, spirits can materialize,” he said. “ _ She _ merely needs the extra power to escape those dimensions and return to the physical world.”

“But we're not going to give her that power!” Kendra said. “She can't make us!”

Yuuto had to sit down, he was trembling so hard.

“It doesn't matter,” he said. “ _ She's _ been planning this for three million years. I played right into  _ her _ hands when I sent you into Shinumaze. I thought it was my own plan. Maybe it was. But no matter what,  _ she'll _ find some way to twist things to fit  _ her  _ own plans.”

Tanya patted Yuuto tentatively on the shoulder, and his breaths slowed.

“The point is, things are moving too quickly,” he said. “The projections I came up with before Shinumaze points to both  _ her  _ and Deep Blue awakening at the same time. In about three days.”

That silenced the room quickly. But the clamor started up just as quickly. Everyone started talking at once, questions flung across the room as others tried to make sense of the chaos. Eventually, Zakuro managed to calm everyone down, and all eyes returned to Yuuto again.

“That's why I had no choice – I had to increase your powers as soon as possible,” he said.

“I'd like to see those projections,” Erinda said. “Before I can believe anything.”

Yuuto shook his head.

“If I had the time, I would,” he said. “But it won't take too much longer for Deep Blue to locate me, with the contract still on me.”

This time Erinda shook her head.

“But Yuuto. Surely you must have already realized.”

The young boy blinked.

“Realized what?”

“You feel much lighter right now, don't you?”

The boy nodded slowly.

“I can see your aura, Yuuto. Last night, I felt something fluctuate and I came to check. It appears that Tanya somehow broke your contract for you.”

It was Yuuto's turn to be completely dumbfounded.

“She –  _ what _ ?”

“I did what??” Tanya said.

Erinda's eyes sparkled with satisfaction.

“I was surprised myself. I can't be sure, but it looks like her wish to free you materialized. It will take a while for me to research the particulars of how it happened, but otherwise Yuuto, you are completely free.”

Yuuto's shocked eyes only remained for a moment. Then a smile twitched at the edges of his lips. He stood up and hugged Tanya.

“I don't know what you did, but thanks,” he said. “Thanks.”

Tanya looked so much happier than Kish ever remember seeing her, and she nearly suffocated Yuuto with the force of her hug.

“That means we can really be friends now!!” she said.

Ichigo cleared her throat.

“Um...I hate to be such a stick in the mud,” she said. “But...you said Deep Blue and Azulda are going to reincarnate in three days. Um...what should we do?”

Yuuto pulled away from Tanya and composed himself.

“Right. Okay, now that I don't have any other things to worry about, I can show you those projections, Erinda. Then...well then, I think our main purpose is to try and locate their hosts. That's the best way to block their arrival.”

“Let's get started,” Erinda said. “Kyaldians. Mews. Inform Ryou and Keiichiro of the current developments. Then...”

Kish met her eyes.

“Then what?”

Erinda's eyes revealed her staunch determination.

“Then prepare for the decisive battle.”


	48. Lost and Found – Running Out of Time

At first, Kish had no ideas whatsoever what he could do to prepare for a face-to-face confrontation with the two most evil figures in all of his race's history. Then Yuuto suggested that he create a few kirema anima in a closed dimension for them to practice on.

“I'm warning you, though,” Yuuto said. “I definitely won't go easy on you.”

“No problem,” Kish said. “Neither will evil, three-million-year-old gods.”

However, Erinda commandeered most of Yuuto's time, as they tried to figure out just where Azulda and Deep Blue would appear. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, three hours later Ryou sent an urgent call to Leoti's shop.

Kish had just walked into the main room of the shop when he found Pai listening to a communicator with narrowed eyes.

“What's going on?” Kish asked.

Pai didn't answer for a moment. He turned off the communicator before turning to Kish.

“It appears we have trouble,” Pai said. “Gather the others. Kolora is sending kirema anima down into the subways, and Foxfire has appeared somewhere over the Odaiba forest.”

“What about Ren?”

“We still haven't found his location. Quickly – already trains are headed towards Kolora's traps, and we have no idea what Foxfire is planning!”

Kish instantly turned on the spot and stepped into thin air, stepping back out into Cafe Mew Mew. Ichigo sat at a table, staring worriedly at her cell phone. She looked up with surprise when Kish appeared.

“We've got trouble in the subways,” Kish said. “And Foxfire's in Odaiba. I can take the Kyaldians to engage Foxfire if you can take the girls down to the subways to take down Kolora.”

“Now?” Ichigo said, eyes widening with worry. “But Masaya's gone missing!!”

“He's  _ what _ ?”

“He didn't come into work this morning, and when I called his house, his parents said they haven't seen him since last night – he never went home after Shinumaze.”

“D'Arvit,” Kish swore. “Okay. I'll let Erinda know. You tell Ryou. Then we'll look for him after we kick some butt, okay?”

Ichigo didn't look very reassured, but she nodded and turned back towards the basement. Then Kish turned back into the air and went to gather the others.

“Masaya's gone?” Yuuto said.

His eyes flashed with some unreadable emotion, and Kish was almost certain Yuuto knew something more than he was telling.

“Right. I have to take everyone to take care of Foxfire. Can you let Erinda know and run some scans for him?”

Yuuto nodded, but the sudden flash of fear in his eyes worried Kish. Kish decided to ignore this for the time being and ran to find the others.

“Foxfire?” said Orla, eyes flashing with anticipation. “Finally. I want to show her just how mad I am at her for taking over Leoti's body.”

“Let's go!” Tanya said.

* * *

_ Foxfire _

Foxfire hovered over Odaiba's newly created forest, considering. She had to admit, Leoti's sleek golden wings were very nice for high speeds, but too difficult to stay in one position with as compared to her old, thick black wings. She took to circling on the rising heat drafts instead, finding it much more difficult to concentrate on her plans.

Deep Blue needed her to create a distraction, to draw out the silly little Kyaldians from their hole. Though glad of finally being given something to do, she did wish the Kyaldians were a bit more of a challenging task. Oh well, it couldn't be helped. She would crush them quickly for her master and be on her way.

She wondered briefly what Deep Blue needed a distraction for. But it didn't matter. Her lord would tell her when he wanted to tell her.

She flexed her fingers – Leoti's fingers – in anticipation. Perhaps the Kyaldians would be easy prey. But she absolutely adored that look she knew she would see on their faces – how it would suddenly sink in that she truly had taken over the body of one of their friends. They would be utterly frozen for a few minutes as they tried to comprehend, despite having already known what was to come. Kish himself had had that look, and Foxfire relished the thought of watching others come to the dire conclusion.

A rush of silver fire rained from the sky. Foxfire dove down and pulled up above the trees, thinking to let them catch fire and cause a smoky confusion to whoever had attacked her. But the strange fires did not seem to harm the trees. Wherever they struck, they merely burned there in one place without spreading – and without harming the leaves, Foxfire noted. Ah. Moonfire. Must be Hailie's spawn.

Foxfire dove beneath the foliage, out of sight of her attackers. She closed her eyes, feeling out for the magic. Yes, just above her. Two young girls: moon and crystal. One half wraith, one Cyniclon. But where were the others hiding?

A slow smile spread across Foxfire's face. Ah, there they were. Hiding among the trees and waiting for her to fly into them. How adorable.

Her teeth bared with anticipation. So she hadn't had the pleasure of watching the dawning comprehension. But she always loved the look of total terror much better.

* * *

_ Kish _

Kish crouched among the branches, concealed in Kendra's shadows. Foxfire should have dived into the trees by now. If Orla and Tanya kept the moonfire coming, she should come out this way in a minute.

Two minutes passed. Three. Four. Five. Nothing happened.

_ Orla? Tanya? What's going on? Are you guys okay up there? _

_ We're fine,  _ Orla said.  _ What about you? Nothing's happening below – I thought you would have engaged her already. _

_ She hasn't appeared. I need to – _

A boot crashed into the back of his head and he dropped from the tree. Spots flared in front of his eyes. He blinked, trying to regain control of himself. But his attacker had already vanished. He reached out to warn the others – then a short yelp caught his attention and Taruto came tumbling from her tree, landing heavily on his back and groaning.

“Taruto,” Kish croaked. “What happened?”

Taruto didn't appear to have gotten his breath back yet. Something crashed through the trees and landed with a thump in front of Kish. Kendra's shadows fell away and she reappeared, panting.

“Something got me,” she said. “Did you see it?”

“It got all of us –” Kish started

Then something hard connected with his stomach and the air rushed out of him. A shadow caught his attention for a brief moment, but vanished just as quickly.

_ D'Arvit,  _ Kish thought, trying to get the breath back in his lungs.

“It's Foxfire,” he finally managed to get out. “She's just playing with us!”

“I absolutely adore that look of dawning comprehension.”

Foxfire's voice emanated all around them, making it impossible for anyone to pinpoint their location.

_ Orla, Tanya!! Quickly get out of here – she knew we were coming! _

“Oh, too late, Fen's son.”

Foxfire appeared next to a big, gnarled tree, holding an unconscious Tanya by the collar and pinning a struggling Orla face first against a tree.

“Really. You Kyaldians are positively useless. This is no challenge for me at all.”

“Sorry to disappoint you,” Kish growled. “Let them go.”

Foxfire dismissively threw the unconscious Tanya to the ground, and Taruto raced forward to grab his sister. Foxfire's fingers twitched, and Taruto went sailing backwards to crash into a tree.

“You're also foolhardy and stupid,” she said. “An ambush, really? Do you think I would fall for that?”

That high-pitched voice did not seem right coming from Leoti's mouth. Kish clenched his fists, trying to remain calm. Charging Foxfire would not be a good idea – she still had Orla.

“Let Orla go, Foxfire,” Kish said.

“No, I don't think so. After all, I do have to keep you busy for a little while.”

“Keep us busy?” Kendra said. “I think you mean you have to kill us.”

“I know what I meant, shadow girl,” Foxfire said. “I have not been asked to kill you just yet.”

A cold feeling wormed its way into Kish's heart. Masaya had gone missing, hadn't he? And Mairead had said something about not feeling well – D'Arvit.

_ ERINDA!! ERINDA! _

_ Kish? What is it? What's the problem? _

_ Mairead – is Mairead still in the house?? _

_ I don't know, I haven't seen her –  _

_ We've got to find her! Never mind Yuuto's projections, Mairead and Masaya need to be found right now! _

Kish broke off the communication and called up a wind to his fingers. Foxfire's mouth twitched into a smile.

“Were you calling for help, Fen's son?” she asked. “It won't do you much good. The mews are busy with Kolora's monsters.”

“I'm not calling for help,” Kish said through gritted teeth.

The wind came much more easily to his fingers than they ever had before. Fresh power rushed through his veins, and suddenly he realized why Yuuto had wanted them to go through Shinumaze. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so much raw power inside of him.

The wind burst to life around them, ripping at the leaves and tearing them into the air. The leaves formed a veritable tornado, blocking Foxfire's view. Kish controlled the wind with ease this time, directing it precisely where he wanted it to go. He felt the air rushing around the forms of his friends, and directed the air to harden around them and protect them from the raging windstorm. Then he turned the full force of the storm loose on Foxfire.

Instantly the dark spirit flew into the air, the wind catching on her wings. Then Kish turned the wind downwards, throwing Foxfire across the forest and slamming her into the ground. Then he let the wind go, hoping Foxfire wouldn't get up for at least a minute or two.

“That was great, Kish!” Kendra said.

“We have a problem!” Kish said, ignoring her. “We have to find Mairead and Masaya right now!”

“But Mairead's back at the shop,” Orla said. “She's fine.”

“I don't know about that,” Kish said. “I think Deep Blue and Azulda are planning something, and I think Masaya and Mairead are the targets! We have to move quickly!”

“But what – ”

Then a loud, harsh word grated against Kish's ears and a wave of pain rushed through him, forcing him to the ground. Around him his friends clapped their hands to their ears, and he could feel the throbbing pain making its way to his head. Foxfire landed among them, looking amused but unhurt.

“Very nicely done, Fen's son,” she said. “I was beginning to worry that this would be no fun at all.”

She slid into a better stance.

“So who wants to go first?” she said. “Or will you all take me on at once?”

Kish braced himself, linking up to the others in their mind. Tanya seemed to be getting up shakily as well.

_ Okay, everyone. We have to work together. Let's take her down and find Mairead and Masaya! _

He could feel their determination ringing in his mind, and he called up his sais.

“Ah, so it's you then,” Foxfire said.

Then she burst towards Kish. In mere seconds Kish found himself on the ground, his sais uselessly scattered three feet away from him and Foxfire's boot on his back.

“Too easy. Who's next?”

Tanya yelled as she threw herself forward. In one fluid motion, Foxfire grabbed Kish by the hair and painfully yanked him upwards. Tanya's baton struck Kish directly in the stomach and all the air rushed from him. He gasped, trying to regain his breath. Tanya's eyes flashed with horror and she jerked away from him. Foxfire let go of him and he fell to his knees.

“Predictable. So predictable.”

Tanya flailed her arms around, totally useless.

“Oniichan!! Oh, oniichan, I'm so sorry!! Are you okay??”

Kish finally sucked in a breath, then Foxfire kicked him in the head and he skidded across the ground. Tanya yelped, and Kish saw her go flying into a tree. A burst of Orla's silver flames claimed his vision for a moment, and when he opened them again, Orla was clutching at a bleeding arm. Kish pushed himself up against a tree, and saw Foxfire punch the air and connect with an invisible Kendra. The older girl reappeared at the strike and stumbled back.

“Is that all you've got Kyaldians?? I'm getting bored of this!”

She stretched her wings to their full length.

“I'm afraid I have to wrap this up now, kids. No hard feelings, I hope.”

Kish swore mentally. His limbs felt shaky and tingly, and he could barely stand. Foxfire's golden feathers started to gleam with a deadly light. Dread filled Kish's stomach. The winds that came to his fingers were feeble.

“Ribbon Vine Bolt!!”

A bright green beam tore through Foxfire's wing and blood spurted into the air. Foxfire screeched and dropped to her knees.

“What the – ” Kish started.

Taruto appeared, touching down gently. In his hands was a long green crossbow, a second bolt already loaded and glowing.

“Take a look at this thing!” Taruto said, eyes bright. “Cool, huh?”

Foxfire's face contorted with unspeakable fury, a sight enhanced by the blood dripping from her wing.

“You die – NOW!” she hissed.

The second bolt flew from the bow and grazed Foxfire's knee in her attempt to dodge.

“Hey, maybe Shinumaze wasn't such a bad idea,” Taruto said.

“Taruto, you – good job,” Kish panted. “Nice timing.”

“This thing ROCKS!” Taruto said, with the look of a child who has just received exactly what he wanted for Christmas.

He squeezed off a few more bolts. Three of them missed, but the fourth caught Foxfire in the shoulder. She shrieked with rage and pain. Her hand flicked upwards, a word about to issue forth from her mouth.

“Ribbon Moondance!” Orla shouted.

The silvery fire twirled through the air and surrounded Foxfire, the bright silver light blinding her. She drew back, screeching as the flames drew ever closer. Then she spoke a single grating word and pain rippled through Kish, forcing him to his knees. Orla's fire vanished as she, too, clapped her hands to her ears. That might have been the end – but as Kendra fell, she launched her lance through the air. 

Foxfire heard the whoosh and started to turn – but too late. The purple weapon pierced right through her good wing. Kish winced, remembering the pain that came with two broken wings. The dark spirit in Leoti's body swerved wildly, trying to regain her balance with two dead wings. Her burning blue eyes fixed on Kish and a word began to form on her lips.

“Take THIS!” Tanya shouted, and she let her baton fly.

The thin blue staff hurtled through the air and struck Foxfire in the temple. The dark spirit turned to face Tanya, her eyes flaming with hatred.

_ She's starting to lose her cool!  _ Kish thought with a burst of fear.  _ She might not have been ordered to kill, but she's going to now!! _

But Tanya clapped her hands once, and crystal started to grow from the spot where the baton had hit Foxfire's temple. Surprise flared in Foxfire's eyes, but the crystal grew fast and quickly enveloped her until she appeared nothing more than a crystal statue.

“I didn't know I could do that!” Tanya said, eyes bright. “That was cool!”

A crack formed in the crystal – there wasn't much time.

“Everyone! Combo NOW!”

Four lights burst into life as one and flew towards Kish. He caught them and drew them together, forming his long sword. Pieces were starting to fall off the crystal statue – Foxfire's hand was already free.

“Ribbon…”

Rainbow energy spiraled down to meet the tip of the sword. The blade itself began to pule and ripple with the multicolored energy. Then Foxfire burst free of the crystal prison and fire began to spark at her fingers.

“Wing STRIKE!”

The energy burst forward in a rage of color, forming into a giant, snake-like dragon. The dragon surged forward and slammed into Foxfire, every inch of the energy blasting through her form. A single yelp came from her lungs – then the dragon vanished, and Foxfire lay still on the ground.

The sword vanished from Kish's hands.

“Is she dead?” Tanya whispered.

“I’m not sure,” Kish said.

He didn’t want to get too close – he had read enough horror stories to know what would happen. But then Foxfire’s chest started to rise and fall, slowly and steadily. The fire on her fingers died out.

“I think we knocked her out!” Kish said incredulously. “No way.”

He quickly turned to the others.

“Is everyone okay? Any lasting injuries?”

“No, strangely enough,” Kendra said.

“I’m okay,” Orla said.

“Good. Okay, let’s go before she wakes up – we need to find Mairead and Masaya.”

Kish’s pocket buzzed. When had he put his cell phone there?

Kish extracted the small cell phone and flipped it open.

“Hello?”

“ _ Aire duit en gorm ridire!! _ ”

“You again! Why won’t you speak plain Napajian??”

“What is it, Kish?” Kendra asked.

“This is the third time I’ve gotten this phone call.”

Kish held the phone away from his ear – the voice was starting to shout loudly.

“What's it saying?” Tanya asked.

“I don’t know. I’m contacting Erinda right now.”

_ Erinda? Erinda, are you there? _

_ Kish, what is it? Are you all right? What about Foxfire? _

_ We knocked her out, somehow. Listen, I need to know if you know what this means. _

He projected the words of the phone into Erinda’s mind. For a long moment there was no answer.

_ Gods. That’s an old Tenshi language. _

_ A what? _

_ The old name for Wing Elves. I don’t know the language – but I’ll ask Chantilly to translate. You go find the girls. They’ve already contacted Ryou and told him they’ve taken care of the kirema anima. _

_ Right. We’ll meet up with them. _

Kish broke off the contact and hung up his phone.

“Okay, she’s translating. Let’s go find Ichigo and the others.”

The others nodded, and they took to the air.

“Let's split up,” Kish shouted over the wind. “Check all the subway stations until we find them!”

In answer, Orla darted off in another direction, and the others followed suit.

Kish tipped his wings to change direction. Two minutes later he caught sight of Ichigo running down a street alone. He swooped down to fly alongside her.

“Ichigo! What’s wrong? Where is everyone?”

“We split up after the kirema anima came above ground,” Ichigo said, eyes wide with fright. “I still can't find Masaya!”

“D’Arvit,” Kish swore. “Did you tell Ryou?”

“Yeah, and he can’t find him either!” Ichigo said.

Her voice was desperate with worry.

“We’ve been fighting kirema anima all morning! I keep trying to call Masaya, but he won't answer!”

Kish carefully touched down so he could run next to her.

“Ichigo, calm down. We'll find him. Erinda and Ryou are looking for him. It's going to be okay.”

He could barely convince himself. Erinda still hadn't gotten back to him about whether or not Mairead was still home. If she was gone, already stolen away… What if that was Azulda's plan? Kidnapping the people he most cared about, to force him into giving her the power to reincarnate?

_ Kish! _

Kish skidded to a stop and Ichigo whirled on her heel to figure out what he was doing.

_ Erinda! Did you translate it? _

_ Yes! Listen, you need to move fast! Whoever is calling you is telling you 'Beware the Blue Knight.' _

Kish froze. Time stopped around him.

Mairead fainting when she saw the picture of Azulda. Her strange dreams. The dark woman in her mindscape. Transforming into Blue Nymph, without a logical explanation for it. Her dark memories of a corridor dripping with blood…

No. No, no, no, no, no.

_ Kish, are you still listening? You were right; Mairead was missing. But Yuuto's already found her – she's in a small garden next to the Shinto temple about five miles north of where you are – _

Kish took off without hearing another word. Ichigo yelped behind him, but he couldn't think of anything else right now. Mairead needed him. She needed him  _ now. _

Once in the air, he could see the temple that Erinda had spoken of. Blocking out her mental protests that he couldn't go alone, he zoomed down towards the black slanting roofs below.

After circling once over the temple, he found the garden just past the sanctuary. And right there, sprawled across the ground, was Mairead.

“Mairead!” Kish shouted, whooshing to the ground and running to her side. “Mairead, wake up!”

He propped her up in his arms and checked for signs of life. She drew in a harsh, rattling breath. Her blue eyes cracked open.

“Kish?” she murmured. “Is that you?”

“Yes, it's me. I'm here. I'm here. You're going to be okay.”

She shut her eyes again, her brow furrowing with pain.

“My head hurts, Kish,” she said. “Someone's talking to me. She's saying things.”

“Don't listen to her. Fight her off. You can do it.”

“I don't…have the strength…”

Kish's heart burned with fear.

“I'll give you the strength. Take my power – fight her off! Don't let her take you!”

He clasped her hand tightly and starting feeding power down his arm. The energy pulsed down through their clasped hands all the way through her. She shuddered once, eyes squeezed shut.

“Kish, it's not enough. She's fighting past it.”

Kish pushed the magic harder, searching himself for every last drop. Mairead shifted. Her jaw clenched and her eyes squeezed shut even tighter. Kish could almost feel the struggle in her soul. A gasp escaped her lungs and Kish fed a little bit more magic to her. He thanked the spirits above for Shinumaze – he had gained so much power that he didn't even feel tired yet, despite lending Mairead so much.

He let go with one last burst. Mairead practically glowed with the white light of his magic, then all the magic slowly seeped inside of her and the glow went out. For a minute, Mairead lay completely still. A tremor went through Kish.

Then a slow, dark smile crossed Mairead's face. And the world exploded around him.

Kish flew back, covering his eyes from the bright light. Once his eyes adjusted, the whole garden was covered in smoke.

“Well, well, well,” said a voice that most certainly was not Mairead. “I had no idea you'd have so much power, boy. I thought I'd need all five of you to come back.”

The air felt frigid – or maybe it was just Kish. It was as though the whole world had dropped two degrees. And suddenly Kish felt as though he were being crushed. He could barely stand up – the presence was that physical.

Red eyes flashed through the smoke and caught Kish's gaze. The smoke slowly faded away, and Kish could not drop those eyes, no matter how much he wanted to. White, porcelain skin. Burning red eyes, long black hair. Deep blue cloak.

The woman from his dream. From the book, from the mindscape – this was Azulda.

She smiled with such gleeful malice, and a shudder went through Kish. He couldn't move an inch – he couldn't even take his eyes away from hers.

“I guess Shinumaze really did increase your powers,” she said. “Your power alone was more than enough to reawaken me. But too bad, it won't be enough to save your life.”


	49. Fight! – Together As One

No. It wasn't true. Mairead did not just become Azulda right in front of his eyes. He had not...no. It was too frightening to contemplate.

“How does it feel?” Azulda said, boring into him with those eyes. “Knowing that your own magic helped me to destroy your precious Mairead's consciousness?”

It was not true. It was not true. It wasn't his fault!

Azulda came closer, appraising Kish.

“Hm. Well you're hardly a threat now. But I suppose I should kill you, before you come and make trouble for me later.”

She drew her hand back, lightning starting to form at the ends of her long, sharp fingernails.

“Ta ta, little Kyaldian. I won't miss you.”

Kish couldn't move. Couldn't even find the will to try. Mairead was gone. He had killed her with his own magic. But before the lightning burst free, Azulda froze. She glanced up, her eyes vaguely curious. Then rainbow light exploded above their heads, a veritable white sun sparkling with every color imaginable. Azulda's head jerked up to face the light and Kish stumbled back. The spell that had held him was broken.

Kish reached out for Ichigo and fell through the air, stumbling out into the open ground of the sanctuary.

Of course, things got worse.

“Kish!” Tanya said. “Oniichan, what's wrong?”

The look on his face must have been evident.

“Oh no, not Mairead too,” Kendra said, eyes wide.

“Azulda used me,” Kish said, not sure whether he wanted to cry or kill something. “She used me to kill Mairead's consciousness.”

Then he realized something.

“Wait, what did you mean, 'too?'”

Kendra pointed. Ichigo stood still, staring straight forward. Kish followed her gaze to – no.

For a moment, Kish thought it was Azulda. But then the icy blue eyes locked onto his own and he knew.

“Deep Blue,” he murmured. “Yuuto was right – both of them appeared at once.”

“It was Masaya!” Lettuce said, on the verge of tears. “And now, Ichigo-san is – ”

The pink mew had begun to tremble, staring at Deep Blue with a look of horror staining her pink eyes.

Then Azulda strode briskly into the sanctuary, red eyes burning with delight.

“Why, my dear Deep Blue!” she said. “I had no idea you would reincarnate so quickly.”

“Nor I you,” Deep Blue said, looking at Azulda without turning his head.

“Is that all you have to say, my dearest Toya? That's no way to greet your mother, now is it?”

“His  _ what _ ?” Orla said. “Tell me she didn't just say that.”

Deep Blue's face betrayed no emotion.

“You might have deigned to contact me. Or was I part of one of your schemes once again?”

“You always expect the worst of me, dearest,” Azulda said, laughing shrilly. “I am here to assist you this time.”

“Hm.”

A quiet sob broke from Ichigo's lungs. Her hand clenched around something, and she took a few halting steps forward.

“Ichigo, no!” Mint said.

“Ichigo-oneechan!” Tanya said.

Ichigo took no heed of their calls. Kish took a step forward to stop her – then Azulda made a quick sign with her hand and found his feet suctioned to the ground. He could only watch helplessly as Ichigo stumbled forward.

_ Why? Why is Azulda letting her come to them? What is she going to do? _

The dark goddess watched Ichigo approach them with an amused look in her eyes. Deep Blue's icy eyes flicked to Ichigo. Still, no emotion leaked through his mask.

Finally, she came right in front of him. She held out the object in her hand – her bell choker.

“Masaya-kun, you gave me this, remember? It's my number one treasure. Please...remember?”

Deep Blue's eyes narrowed. Then his hand flew through the air and sent the bell flying across the ground. It landed and rolled, jingling all the way.

Ichigo froze. Then she slowly sank to her knees, trembling.

Azulda threw back her head and laughed.

“Ah, the effects of a broken heart,” she said. “I simply adore that broken expression.”

“We have more important things to do,” Deep Blue said. “There is no time to be wasted with these mortals.”

“True, true,” Azulda said. “We shall be going now, Kyaldians and Mews. And by the way, the spell holding you still will slowly crush you into the ground. Goodbye.”

Kish felt heavier by the second, sinking to his knees, and then down onto his hands.

But the fury that had sprouted in his chest would not let him rest.

Deep Blue had stolen Masaya from Ichigo. Azulda had stolen Mairead from him. At that moment, all Kish wanted was to plunge his sais through both of their hearts.

The air roared to life around him in answer to his rage. Almost instantly, Kish blew away the spell. Around him, his friends stumbled and fell as they tried to readjust to their original gravity. But he had already charged forward towards Azulda's back, sais glinting and wind roaring.

In a single fluid motion, Azulda twirled around to meet him. Her sword caught on the prongs of his weapon. He tried to twist the weapon out of her hands, but she turned it against him and his own sais went flying. In seconds, he hit the ground face down and a blade pierced through his shoulder.

Lightning coursed down the metal and into his already painful wound. The fire coursed through him and a scream ripped from his throat. She yanked her sword from him and he flinched with another wash of pain.

“Don't worry, Kyaldian. I missed your vital organs. Just barely.”

He could hear the hint of a smirk in her voice, and anger to match his pain grew in his stomach again. Then she plunged her blade into him again, this time in the calf. Another scream forced its way out of him. Two more times she stabbed him, each time bringing a fresh scream.

His blood felt wet and sticky beneath him, and his head was full of fuzz. He couldn't think – could barely see.

“You won't be moving for a while. Actually, you'll probably die of blood loss before you can get past the pain enough to move. Ta, ta, Kyaldian. Enjoy dying.”

He could hear her walk away, her long dress swishing across the ground. He shifted one arm forward in an attempt to push himself up, but the tiny action sent a wave of pain through him. There was nothing left to do but lie in a pool of his own blood.

“Kish! Kish!”

He couldn't quite tell who was around him at this point.

“Gods, Kish! This is bad!”

“It's okay, it's okay! It'll take a minute, but my moonfire can heal – ”

A burning feeling shot through his shoulder and he screamed again.

“Orla, stop! It's hurting him!”

“But – it's...it's moonfire! It's not supposed to hurt when healing!”

“D'Arvit, it was her sword!”

“What are you talking about, Kendra?”

“It must have been spelled to reject healing spells! D'Arvit, you guys...there's nothing we can do.”

“No! No! Kish!”

It was Ichigo's voice that Kish could recognize. Hardly able to see, he reached toward her voice and found her wrist. He squeezed it.

_ Ichigo – please. Fight. I – can't anymore. _

“Kish, don't talk like that! We'll figure something out! Don't die! I don't want anyone to die!”

_ Then you've – gotta – fight. Please. _

Ichigo sobbed for a minute.

“I can't, Kish! It's Masaya. I don't want to fight Masaya!”

_ Then – bring him – back. _

“You...think I can?”

Kish snorted and instantly regretted it.

_ Ichigo, this is – you, we're talking about. You could – probably – move a mountain – with your bare hands – if you got stubborn about it. _

“But...I...”

“Ichigo! Kish! Everyone!”

Ryou?

Then someone was forcing him to roll over and pain flared all across him. Despite his efforts, yelps of pain forced their way out of his lungs.

“Just hold still, Kish!” a voice hissed. “Ilka tuk tak, this is bad.”

Someone shoved something small and round into his mouth. It dissolved quickly, coating his tongue with an ashy substance.

“Swallow, Kish, swallow!”

His mouth had gotten so dry he could barely comply. He managed to force down most the ash-like stuff, coughing and hacking the rest of it out. Each cough rattled his body and sent pain rushing through him.

“Okay, now hold still Kish. This is going to hurt. I mean, even more than it already does.”

Every inch of his body felt like it was going to rip apart into tiny atoms. He couldn't be sure if he was screaming – there was too much pain to tell. 

Then the pain vanished, and he was left trembling on the ground with ghost pains.

“No way,” Kendra murmured. “Yuuto, how did you do that? Magic wouldn't have worked.”

“It was a genetically altered, magically enhanced bacteria that started to divide on its own,” Yuuto said. “It speeds up the healing process one million percent.”

Slowly, Kish sat up. He didn't feel like he was going to throw up – that was a good sign. He looked down at himself. His shirt was torn and blood stained, but the skin underneath it was smooth and flawless.

“Yuuto, if I never thanked you for helping us before, just know that I am  _ so  _ glad that you decided to help us,” he said shakily.

“Well, after all, you guys are the only ones who stand a chance at beating Azulda and Deep Blue now,” Yuuto said. “And I'm out of those bacteria for a while. So don't die.”

“I will certainly try.”

He shakily managed to climb to his feet.

“Well, everyone,” he said. “It looks like I'm not going to die. Yet. So what do you say?”

The looks on their faces were all he needed. Only Ichigo looked scared.

“I can't fight Masaya,” she whispered. “I can't.”

“And I can't fight Mairead,” Kish said. “But we're not really fighting them, are we?”

He extended his hand to her where she knelt on the ground.

“What do you think they would have wanted us to do?”

Ichigo stared at his hand, then up at him. Slowly, she reached out and took it. Kish pulled her to her feet.

“Are you ready to go?”

Ichigo squeezed her eyes shut, and nodded. When she opened them again, they were burning with determination.

“Well, how sweet.”

Kish whipped around – Azulda and Deep Blue had not left at all. Both dark gods lingered at the end of the sanctuary.

“So somehow you survived. Deep Blue, I believe that was  _ your  _ little pet that saved him.”

Deep Blue's eyes locked onto Yuuto, and the young yokai began to trembled ever so slightly.

“You defied our contract, Yuuto,” he said. “You know the consequences of that.”

Despite the fear in Yuuto's eyes, he spoke strongly.

“I broke the contract. Can't you tell that you don't have any control over me anymore?”

Deep Blue didn't appear to be affected by the statement.

“Yes, I have noticed. I noticed the moment it occurred. But that will not stop me from killing you.”

Tanya leaped in front of him.

“You'll have to go through me first, poop breath!” she yelled.

“Tanya, no!” Yuuto shouted. “Don't!”

Kish jumped to move beside Tanya. One by one, each mew and Kyaldian rose and joined them.

“You've got to deal with all of us at once,” Kish said. “You may have gotten me once. I won't let it happen again.”

Azulda's eyes lit up with amusement.

“That sounds like a challenge, little Kyaldian,” she said delightedly. “I do so love challenges.”

Her eyes flicked over to Deep Blue.

“Well, my dear son. Perhaps we should take care of them now.”

“I have some unfinished business with Yuuto, but I see no point in engaging the others,” Deep Blue said.

“Don't pass up the chance to warm up after three million years, dearest.”

Deep Blue closed his eyes.

“If you insist.”

Azulda smiled darkly, and raised one hand. Suddenly the ground began to shake. Kish struggled to stay upright.

“What's going on?” Lettuce shouted.

“Hang on, everyone!” Zakuro said.

Then the shaking stopped. Kish took a moment to regain his footing – then the strangest thing caught his eye. A huge, diamond shaped thing hung in the air about fifty feet above them. Pieces hovered in in a circle around it, and it practically pulsed with power.

“What is that?” he said.

“A spaceship?” Ichigo suggested.

Azulda's eyes flashed with challenge.

“Get on up there and find us, little Kyaldian,” she said. “I'll give you two hours to get up there. Then I'll release the supernova stored inside and destroy your precious Tokyo.”

Ichigo gasped, one had going to her mouth.

“We won't let you do that nanoda!!” Pudding shouted.

Ren appeared suddenly, eyes nervous and guarded, Kolora beside him with a barely contained look on shock on her face. It was as though neither of them really ever expected Deep Blue to come back – much less Azulda.

“You called?” Ren said, looking at Deep Blue from the corner of his eye.

“Delay them,” Deep Blue said. “Or kill them. Whichever ends up working.”

Then he and Azulda vanished.

“Where'd they go?” Tanya yelped.

“In the ship! Can't you feel them above us?” Kendra said.

Everyone turned to face the strange, floating thing.

“Let's go!” Kish said.

Then Ren was there, knocking Kish back. His swords flashed.

“Sorry about this,” he muttered. “Can't go back on an order like that.”

Kish pushed himself up.

“Just so long as you don't mind me going all out,” he retorted.

Ren smiled broadly.

“I'm looking forward to it, actually. Let's see what Shinumaze did for you.”

One hour and fifty eight minutes left.


	50. Two Hours Left – The Last Chance! [Part One]

_ One hour, fifty seven minutes _

Kish whipped his sais up to meet Ren's sword and twisted the weapon from the yokai's hand. The air whistled as Ren's second blade went for his stomach, and Kish jerked backwards to avoid the strike. Ren came in again, this time going for Kish's head. Kish blocked the move with one sai and struck at Ren's stomach with the other, but the yokai dodged and slashed at Kish's shoulder.

Kish ignored the faint stab of pain and hurled his sai through the air. The point grazed Ren's calf, and the yokai winced. He didn't slow down though, whirling to slash at Kish again. But Kish had already thrust his hand out, and a twister sprung to life from the place it had struck the ground. Ren whipped around to face the whirlwind bearing down on him, and managed to fall out of the way. The twister hit Kish instead, but he snapped his wings shut to avoid getting caught up and commanded the winds to change course. This time the wind smashed into Ren as he tried to stand. The yokai went flying across the sanctuary, catching himself midair.

A burst of black fire rushed past his face, and the heat made him jump back. Kolora was deep in combat with Zakuro and Orla, trying to catch them with her fiery blade. Lettuce, Mint, and Pudding were occupied with Kolora's giant fire dog, but it appeared to be falling back quickly under Lettuce's water attack.

But what faced Ichigo, Kendra, Tanya, and Taruto made Kish's blood run cold.

Foxfire had appeared, her blade flashing. Already Kendra was on her knees, blood trickling down her forehead. Ren was on the ground, trying to pick himself up. Kish abandoned his own battle, running to his friends' aid.

Mint caught him halfway to Foxfire.

“You don't have time for this!” she said, blue eyes flashing. “You need to get up to that ship and take care of those three million year old freaks!”

“I'm not leaving you guys to handle this by yourselves!”

“Stuff it, Kish! You and Ichigo are needed up there!” Mint said. “We have less than two hours, and then we all die anyway! So go while we can distract them!”

Kish stared at the chaos around them – Ren had started fighting with Orla now, and she was falling back. Kolora's beast had come back, and Kolora herself was bearing down harder on Zakuro. Then there was Foxfire, trapped in a rage as she went after Ichigo and Kendra.

He tore his eyes away, trying to steel himself. Mint was right – if he didn't go, they'd all die anyway. Maybe they had a chance to end this once and for all.

“Okay, fine. Just don't die!”

“Get yours and Ichigo's butts up there and we won't have to!”

Kish ducked and ran towards Ichigo. The punk mew struggled to hold off Foxfire's sword, sparks starting to fly off her bell.

“Windstorm!”

The flurry of wind caught at Foxfire's wings and pushed her across the temple grounds. Kish charged to Ichigo and hauled her to her feet.

“Come on, we're going after Deep Blue and Azulda!”

“Now? But the others – ”

“No time! Let's go!”

Ichigo seemed to understand the gravity of the decision and came without complaint.

“How are we getting up there? I can't fly!”

“Hang on to me and don't move too much, and we'll be okay!”

Ichigo blushed a little and gingerly wrapped her arms around Kish's waist. Under normal circumstances, Kish might have been embarrassed, but at this point he barely noticed. It took a couple tries to get off the ground, and the flight was awkward and slow. He had to move faster or someone might notice – 

A rush of heat burst toward him and he dove out of the way. Ichigo shrieked and tightened her hold. Foxfire zoomed after them, hatred burning in her eyes.

“Thought you two could sneak away, did you?” she hissed. “Not likely.”

Kendra appeared and slashed at Foxfire with her lance, but the dark angel simply sent a rush of fire into Kendra's wing and sent the purple Kyaldian hurtling to the ground.

“Kendra!” Kish shouted.

He sent a rush of wind to catch her, and she tumbled to the ground unhurt.

“Worry about yourself, Fen's son.”

Fire smacked into his wing and he spun around. Ichigo shrieked again – and lost her grip.

“Ichigo!”

The pink mew streaked towards the ground. Kish dove, pushing himself faster and faster. He had to reach her! He sent the wind ahead of him, trying to catch her with it, but Foxfire slammed into his back and he nearly dropped out of the air. He lost sight of Ichigo as he sent a rush of wind into Foxfire's wings, trying to catch her off balance.

He dove again, but he couldn't see Ichigo anymore. Had she landed? Was she okay?

There! She was okay!

The pink mew appeared to have landed on her feet, shaky but unhurt. 

Then Foxfire was on top of him again, sword in hand. He narrowly missed having his wing sliced off, and he barrel rolled away from her.

A sudden pale blue glow burst into life below him, and Ichigo appeared in midair, sending a flurry of bubbles into Foxfire's face. The dark angel screamed, clawing at her eyes to escape the purity of the attack.

“Ichigo! You're flying!” Kish said, not quite believing it.

The glowing Ichigo met his eyes with a look of terror.

“Yeah, don't remind me, or I might remember that this is physically impossible and fall.”

“Then let's get up there now!”

Then turned towards the ship. Kish felt the rush of heat bearing up on them, and the world started to move in slow motion. He turned to shove Ichigo out of the way, but the fire seemed to be moving too quickly.

Just when he thought they would both go up in flames, the air filled with a thick blue dust and the fire turned to ice in midair. Yuuto appeared, shaking slightly with another fistful of blue dust in his hand.

“Go. Now,” he said. “I'll hold her off for a few minutes.”

“So the yokai has betrayed us,” Foxfire shrilled. “How predictable.”

“Ichigo, Kish. Go before I lose my nerve,” Yuuto said.

Kish and Ichigo exchanged glances, and surged towards the base.

They were close now – close enough to touch it. But where did they get in?

A screamed pierced the air and made Kish's blood run cold.

_ “YUUTO-KUN!” _

Kish whipped around, Ichigo's eyes went wide – 

Foxfire's blade pierced through Yuuto. His gray eyes were wide with shock and pain, her blue eyes flaming with satisfaction. She yanked her sword from his body, and he hovered for a minute. Then the yokai dropped from the sky and crashed in a dust cloud on the ground.

Kish froze, unable to move. No. Yuuto could not be dead. This couldn't be happening. They had just begun to fight together, on the same side. He had just been freed from the contract! Yuuto couldn't be dead!

“Go!” Zakuro shouted from the ground. “GO!”

“KILL AZULDA, Kish!” Tanya shrieked. “KILL BOTH OF THEM!”

Ichigo was crying, her body shaking with sobs. Kish found tears dripping down his own cheeks. But Foxfire had been distracted again, deep in battle with Zakuro. Kish didn't think he would ever move. It was Ichigo who gripped his arm and dragged him up up this time, towards the wall of the base and right through it.

* * *

_ One hour, twenty minutes _

Tanya streaked across the ground, collapsing next to Yuuto. He had to be alive! He had to! If he was still alive, she could copy Mairead's move and heal him! Of course he was alive!

But when she fell beside his fallen body, Yuuto's eyes were wide and staring, glassy with death. Tanya gripped his shoulder, ignoring the blood that stained her fingers.

“Yuuto-kun! Yuuto-kun!”

Ren was there next, green eyes so wide they might have fallen out.

“No,” he said. “No – it's – you – D'Arvit, Yuuto...”

Tanya shrieked again, shaking him again. His head flopped limply back and forth, and Tanya hugged him. No heartbeat registered through him.

“YUUTO-KUN!”

Even Ren was crying this time, trying to hide it. He shouted wordlessly, hurling his sword across the sanctuary.

“FOXFIRE!” he shouted. “FOXFIRE, I'LL KILL YOU!”

Tanya sobbed silently, unmoving. Ren paid her no attention, streaking towards Foxfire with his other sword.

She would not move ever again. She would sit here and hold Yuuto forever. She'd make him come back – she would make him!

But deep down inside, she knew she could not.

And in the back of her mind, she realized that Kolora's sword had pierced through her, and she was falling to lie beside Yuuto in eternal blackness.

* * *

_ One hour, fifteen minutes _

Kish and Ichigo walked down the long, dark hallway. The only sound was their footsteps and Ichigo's quiet sobs.

Kish couldn't help but let his mind wander. Was Yuuto to be the only casualty? Or was he only the first? Who else would they lose before this battle was over?

“I can't do this,” he murmured.

Ichigo sniffled.

“Neither can I,” she whispered. “So...we have to do it together, I guess.”

He nodded numbly.

The hallway ended. Stairs climbed up to the archway, light spilling down the steps in a faint waterfall.

“Kish?” Ichigo whispered.

“Yeah?”

“I think I've dreamed of this.”

“Me too.”

Standing in the dark hallway, staring up the stairs with the presence of someone beside him – yes, he had had this dream before.

“Did you ever see what happened next?”

Ichigo shook her head.

“Me neither.”

He took a breath, and held up his hand. Ichigo sniffled and and stared at it, not understanding.

“Together?”

Ichigo blinked, then slowly raised her hand to clasp his. They squeezed for a moment, then let go.

“No matter what, I'm glad we became friends, Kish,” Ichigo said.

“Yeah.”

They looked at each other for a long moment.

Then they started to climb the stairs.


	51. The Last Chance! [Part Two]

_ Fifty-seven minutes _

The room that Kish and Ichigo walked into appeared empty at first glance. But as his eyes adjusted to the light, he realized that he stood inside a giant throne room, Azulda and Deep Blue at the far end. Azulda noticed them first, her red eyes lighting up with delight.

“You made it up,” she said. “At the cost of your friends, of course.”

Kish's blood ran cold.

“What are you talking about?”

She held a small crystal ball in one hand and smiled broadly.

“Well, it looks like the little blue Kyaldian died next to the yokai,” she said. “The dragon girl was stabbed not two minutes ago. And, oh, it looks like the little boy in green just fell.”

The cold burned out of him, replaced by anger and hatred. Tanya. Kendra. Taruto. Three dead already?

“They won't die vainly,” he said. “Because I'm going to kill you!”

Azulda was practically glowing with delight in the whole affair.

“Well, dearest Kyaldian. Come and get me.”

In a whirl of dark hair, the dark goddess vanished up a set of steps in the back. Kish shot a look back to Ichigo, who had already locked gazes with Deep Blue.

“Go, Kish,” Ichigo said, without looking at him. “Go.”

Kish nodded, and burst after the dark goddess. Deep Blue made no move to stop him, standing still as stone as he barreled past and up the thin flight of steps. He had to snap his wings shut to avoid hitting them on the walls, and it was so dark that the next room blinded him as he stumbled in.

The moment he stepped out into the room, a door slammed shut behind him and vanished, leaving a blank wall and no way to escape. But he wasn't planning on escaping.

This room was only half the size of the other, but still large. It was as empty as the first, but the walls gleamed with ancient runes. A giant blue crystal gleamed in the far wall, rippling with power. There was the supernova that Azulda threatened to release.

“Welcome to your grave, little Kyaldian,” Azulda said.

“Or yours,” Kish retorted.

His remark seemed to only heighten her amusement.

“I've been looking forward to this rematch for three million years,” she hissed. “Little Jun.”

“Little what?”

Kish had no idea what she was talking about. Jun, as in Prince Jun of Old Verity? He had dreamed of the young boy before leaving from Earth. What was Azulda trying to say?

_ He won't even reincarnate again... _

Words Azulda had spoken in the depths of Mairead's mindscape returned to him. The comprehension must have shown in his eyes, because Azulda started to laugh.

“You just now figured it out, didn't you, little Jun?” she said. “Leoti knew the whole time, that you were his reincarnation! That's why you became a Kyaldian in the first place!”

So. He was a reincarnation of a three-million-year-old prince that had defeated Azulda once before. Instead of freaking out, as he might have before, he actually started feeling like he had a chance to win.

“If Jun beat you once, and I'm here now,” he said. “Then that means I'll beat you again.”

“You'd like to think so, wouldn't you,” she hissed.

Then the first lightning strike crackled through the air and the battle for the universe had begun.

* * *

_ Forty-five minutes left _

Ren drove his sword into Foxfire's wing and jerked away as she clawed for his face.

“You're defying Deep Blue!” she shrieked at him.

“He never said I wasn't allowed to kill you,” Ren said, burning with rage.

“Die, if you're so anxious to do so!”

“The only death I'm anxious for is yours!”

He slashed in, trying to get her neck. But she was fast, twirling away despite the sword in her wing. She pulled the blade out of her and met Ren's next strike. They were locked together for one brief moment. Then she thrust her free hand into his face and he jerked away. Not fast enough – the fire caught his cheek and left a burn across his face. And in the desperate move to get away he lost his balance, dropping to the ground. In an instant Foxfire was nearly on top of him and the cold blade pierced through his side.

“Ribbon Lettuce Rush!”

Water bore down on the dark angel, and Foxfire streaked away. Ren struggled to breath – it felt as though the sword had punctured a lung.

“D'Arvit,” he whispered. “I'm – sorry...Yuuto.”

A soft, cool presence came beside him.

“Ren?” Lettuce whispered. “Ren, please tell me you're still alive.”

He blinked by way of answer.

“Please. Just hang on,” Lettuce murmured. “Ichigo and Kish will win, and then we can save you.”

“Too late...now,” Ren mumbled. “I won't...last long.”

Tears hit his face, and he turned his head just enough to see her face.

“Sorry...” he said.

“For what?”

“Being...a jerk...all the...time.”

Lettuce put a cool finger to his lips.

“Relax,” she said, throat choked with tears. “Don't overexert yourself.”

He grabbed for her hand, holding it close to him.

“Lettuce – I think – I may have been in....love with you.”

“Don't Ren. Please. I can't –”

“Even if...you can't...accept it...I have to...tell you.”

“Ren, I – ”

A cry caught her attention, and Ren knew Foxfire had gone for Ryou.

“Go...save him,” he whispered. “Go.”

Lettuce trembled slightly, then her presence vanished. Just when Ren thought she was gone, suddenly she was there again, cradling him against her for one, brief moment.

“I wish things could have been different,” she whispered. “Even though I love Ryou...know that I care for you too.”

Her tear dropped onto his forehead, and then she was gone again. In an instant, he felt lighter – weight had been lifted from his shoulder.

_ The contract. It broke. _

Lettuce's cry drew his attention. In one desperate move, he tore the sword from his body. The pain was unbearable. Slowly, he pulled himself upward. He hacked, and blood splattered the ground. He would die soon.

But there was one last thing to do.

Foxfire was just close enough for him to reach her, painstakingly dragging himself across the ground. He felt a pang through his heart seeing Orla laying still across the sanctuary. He had not told her yet what his heart felt. Though, even he wasn't sure what he felt anymore. Lettuce or Orla? It was a question he would never answer.

He grabbed Foxfire's ankle. She started, turning around. He had already pulled himself to his knees.

“Not dead yet, are you?” she said with distaste.

Before she could strike, Ren moved his hand to grab her forehead. Her eyes widened, realizing what he was about to do.

“You wouldn't,” she hissed.

“I'm dying anyway.”

“Ren?” Lettuce whispered.

He looked at her for one sad moment. The mews were all that was left – and they were broken, physically and spiritually. Yuuto was dead, and wasn't against them anyway. Kolora's beasts were gone. Kolora herself lay still on the ground – dead or unconscious, Ren didn't know. Now he was dying. And Foxfire would go next.

They wouldn't have to fight anymore.

“See ya, Foxfire,” he said, and he locked his gaze with hers.

A single word fell from his lips, and the world exploded.

He felt rather than heard Foxfire's scream as her soul disintegrated. He himself felt as though his atoms were being ripped apart.

_ I wonder what death's like. _

Then the world went black.

* * *

_ Thirty minutes left _

Kish dove to the ground, trying to avoid the wild lightning storm crackling around him. Azulda laughed shrilly at his helplessness. He couldn't use wind to blow lightning away. All he could do was draw the wind around him in some form of shield and try to avoid being hit.

Then the lightning stopped, and Azulda locked eyes with him, looking positively gleeful.

“It's so exhausting, isn't it?” she said. “Not to mention frustrating. You have a half an hour left, dearest. Then I activate the supernova and kill everyone.”

She glanced down at the crystal ball in her hand, and smiled.

“Not that you have much left to fight for,” she said. “I'm afraid the only one left is that human boy with the blond hair. How disappointing. Even Foxfire died.”

Kish felt the world ending around him. Everyone was dead? No. It couldn't – 

He was trembling. Even if he won against Azulda, there would be nothing left for him to return to. Mairead was gone. Everyone else was dead. It was only him and Ichigo. What would there be for him to go back to?

Azulda laughed, high and cold against his despair.

“Oh yes! That's the look I wanted to see! Poor Jun, losing everything he holds dear. What will you do now? There's nothing left for you. What's the point in saving the rest of the people in Tokyo?”

Kish trembled. If he won, there would be nothing for him. If he gave up, the world would perish. But what would it matter to him? His world had already ended.

_ Don't give up! _

That voice! It was one of the voices from before!

A transparent hand appeared, touching his. He looked up into bright hazel eyes – the girl who had encouraged him when he had fallen into the river during Shinumaze!

_ “You can do this,”  _ she said.  _ “But you have to fight.” _

Another hand appeared, this time a red headed man with a perpetual pout.

_ “I still think you're too young and inexperienced,” _ he sniffed.  _ “But at this point, you'll do.” _

Next was a tall black woman with arched eyebrows and eyes of liquid gold.

_ “Fight like the warrior you are,” _ she said.

The old fortuneteller from the boardwalk appeared, old and wizened as ever, but now with her bright blue eyes unscarred.

_ “Come on, boy! I didn't cross over to watch you fail!” _

And then the last one appeared – a young, tall boy with messy brown hair and the same bright yellow eyes as Kish's own.

_ “Don't worry,”  _ he said.  _ “It's not over yet.” _

“Everyone's gone,” Kish said numbly. “Even if I win, there's nothing left.”

_ “Don't jump to conclusions,”  _ the boy said.  _ “Reach inside yourself. Find out what this place hides.” _

The transparent hand touched his own, and a bright, powerful magic pulsed through him so intensely he felt as though he might explode.

“Kyalda,” he said. “Mew Aqua.”

The boy nodded, smiling.

_ “Fight your battle. Remember the power of the Miracle Water.” _

“I'm a Kyaldian. I can only use the combative side of it.”

_ “You won't have to use it. Trust us. Trust yourself. Fight, and win.” _

Azulda's eyes narrowed.

“Why are you just standing there, dearest? Have you given up? You have twenty minutes left to make a difference.”

Kish felt the power of the Kyalda pulsing through his veins. He felt it glowing in the ship around him – it wasn't just magic. It was alive.

And it wanted him to win.

“I'm not giving up, Azulda,” he said. “Not even close.”

“Good, because I was starting to become royally bored.”

_ She can't see them _ , Kish realized, looking around at the ghostly figures.

The brown hair boy looked Kish in the eyes.

_ “It's time for you to win,”  _ he said.

“Got that right,” Kish said.

The magic pulsing through his veins glowed at his fingertips. Azulda's sword appeared in her hands, and she came towards him in slow motion. Light burst in his hands – but it was not the Kyalda Rod, like he had expected.

A long, thin blade glowed white in his hand, the hilt gleaming with gold and silver. The blade was so light it might have been made of the air that drew towards it like moths to light.

_ “Take up the Maelstrom Sword and defeat her. We are with you.” _

The ghostly figures vanished, but Kish could still feel them near. Then Azulda was before him, her sword burning white lightning. Kish jerked his blade to meet hers. Wind burst forth with each strike. Her sword almost bounced off his, the wind around his blade was so strong. Azulda slashed at him, too fast for him. A bleeding gash opened up across his chest, and he dropped to one knee.

Azulda appeared about him, sword poised to strike. He could feel the room pulsing with the power of Kyalda around him, the five souls within him and lending him strength, and the sword in his fingers vibrating with the force of wind. In the space of seconds, he realized that he was not alone. Not only were the five souls of the past inside him, he could feel the souls of the others. Taruto, Tanya, Orla, Kendra, Leoti, Yuuto, Ren, Mint, Lettuce, Pudding, Zakuro – they were all here, inside of the power that was the Kyalda. And they were all lending him their strength.

The words came easily to his lips.

“Maelstrom Rage!”

Not just wind burst into life around him. Fire, earth, water – it was all borne on the wind and directly into Azulda. She shrieked – a painful, unearthly scream. Kish suddenly felt a second soul appear inside of Azulda's, small and faint but struggling. Kish pushed forward and drove the sword into Azulda.

And amidst the chaos, Azulda split in two.

Mairead stumbled forward, dazed and off balance. Wind whipped from Kish's hand and pulled her into his arms. Azulda writhed and warped, a soul without a body trying to maintain its hold on the physical world.

Mairead clung to Kish, trying to ask him what was going on. But there was one last thing for Kish to do, while the Kyalda still pulsed through him and the souls still clung to him.

He stepped just out of Mairead's reach and brought up the sword one more time. Azulda's warped and blackened soul tried to escape, moving for the in between world it had called home for millions of years.

But Kish had the speed of the wind, and he plunged his sword deep into the dark, swirling mass.

There was no explosion, no scream, nothing. The soul cracked into two pieces under Kish's sword, then fell to the ground and shattered like glass. The pieces faded into nothing, and the windstorm around Kish them died.

Then Kish's sword vanished, the power drained from his body and the souls around him faded, one by one.

He dropped to the ground, and Mairead rushed forward to catch him.

“Kish? Kish...you – you're okay, right?”

Kish laughed softly as tears started to run down his cheeks.

“Physically, emotionally or spiritually?” he asked.

“All of them.”

She moved his hair from his face gently, and he grabbed her hand.

“Don't move for a minute,” he murmured. “Just don't move.”

She didn't, allowing Kish to hold her hand against his face.

“I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you too,” she whispered. “You saved me.”

“Do you remember anything?”

He felt her shudder.

“Everything. Is everyone...really dead?”

Kish swallowed, and the tears began anew.

“I think so, yeah.”

Her tears dripped on his face.

“Are you really okay?”

“Physically, I'm drained. But I won't die. Emotionally and spiritually...”

He trailed off.

“I know. Me too,” Mairead whispered.

They didn't move for a long time, holding each other. Both wondered the same thing – would there be a way to move on, after this?

Then a deep, powerful magic coursed through the ship, nearly rocking it over. It was as warm and nostalgic as Kyalda – but somehow different.

It came to them at the same time.

“Ichigo,” they said as one.


	52. The Final Chapter

_ Ichigo _

Ichigo crashed against the wall. Despite the pain lancing through her, she stood up, shaky on her feet.

“You are stubborn,” Deep Blue observed.

“Masaya...” Ichigo whispered. “Please.”

Deep Blue's eyes were unmoved.

“Masaya is gone. It's only me, now.”

Tears pricked at Ichigo's eyes, but she wiped them away.

“I won't give up, though,” she whispered. “I can't.”

A flash of confusion showed through Deep Blue's eyes.

“You confuse me, human. I am here. Masaya is not. I am trying to kill you. What gives you such hope?”

Ichigo smiled softly.

“I'm not sure,” she said. “But to lose hope would be to die, without happiness. I don't...want to die in despair. That almost happened once, and it was terrible.”

The snakes with their whispers to hopelessness still glowed in her memory. She would never die without hope in her heart.

Deep Blue paused, lightning crackling at his fingers as he considered this.

Ichigo heaved in deep breaths, enjoying the relief while she had it. She had no more power – barely even enough to summon her weapon, much less use Strawberry Healing on Masaya. She hoped fervently that her friends were okay.

Then Deep Blue attacked again, and the lightning coursed through her. It was over as suddenly as it had begun, and she dropped to her knees. Slowly, she stood up again.

“Why are you just playing with me?” she said. “You could have killed me long before this.”

Deep Blue blinked slowly.

“I am curious,” he said. “Your hope keeps you going. I want to know how long you'll keep standing up.”

Ichigo wasn't sure how to react to that. This dark god seemed nowhere near sadistic as Azulda. Why was he curious about her hope?

Well, if he was, she would show him. She would not stop getting up until she died. Maybe, just maybe, that in itself would bring Masaya back.

But the next attack ripped through her without warning, and she slammed against the wall again. Tears came to her eyes. Everyone she cared about was dead or possibly dying. Despite her promise, she could feel the tendrils of despair worming their way into her heart.

A single tear dropped from her eye as she stood up again. Something flashed across Deep Blue's eyes.

“I'm sorry, Masaya,” she said, wiping at her eyes. “I'm trying. I really am! I won't – I can't lost hope in you!”

Deep Blue stumbled back, a strange look crossing his face. He clawed at his head for a moment – then suddenly his eyes turned a deep brown.

What?

The eyes looked around dazedly, then found Ichigo.

“Ichigo?”

A breath rushed out of Ichigo's lungs. Masaya.

She stood up and ran to him, throwing her arms around him.

“Masaya,” she sobbed. “I'm sorry – I almost gave up.”

Slowly, Masaya put his arms around her and squeezed her.

“It's okay,” he murmured. “It's all right.”

A shudder went through him, and Ichigo looked up at him. He winced, and immediately tried to hide it.

“Deep Blue's trying to come back,” he said. “Ichigo...I'm sorry. But while I watched Deep Blue doing these things...”

“Masaya, what are you saying?”

Masaya smiled sadly, then backed away from her.

“I'm sorry, Ichigo. I love you. But I've made my decision.”

Fear lanced through her heart as Masaya picked up Deep Blue's sword.

“This is the only way to make sure Deep Blue doesn't come – ”

But even as Masaya raised the sword to plunge it through his own heart, his eyes flashed back to icy blue and Deep Blue returned.

“Foolish,” Deep Blue said, his voice suddenly dangerous. “He thought he could do what he wished, did he?”

Ichigo stumbled away, fear rushing through her. Not fast enough. Deep Blue took one long stride forward and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off the ground. Ichigo struggled, trying to draw air through her windpipe. But he had a grip of iron, and there was no escaping it.

“I'm afraid I must end my experiment now,” he said. “If you're alive, he may manage to break –”

Deep Blue winced and let go, folding in on himself

“I won't let you hurt Ichigo!” he said in Masaya's voice.

“Fool! Why won't you be erased!”

For a moment, the two souls fought each other. Then a ghostly Masaya appeared behind Deep Blue and grabbed him.

“Ichigo, now!” he shouted.

“But then you'll – ”

“Ichigo, don't worry about me! You've got to save everyone – there are more lives than mine at stake!”

“No!” Ichigo screamed. “Everyone else is gone – I won't lose you too!”

“Ichigo, I can't hold him for long! Please!”

Ichigo stumbled away, desperate. There had to be another way! She couldn't – she wouldn't let herself by the one to kill Masaya!

“I don't even have any power left,” Ichigo said desperately.

The room pulsed suddenly, and a strange power glowed in her heart. A warm, nostalgic feeling flowed through her – she knew this sensation. Mew Aqua.

_ No,  _ she thought.  _ Don't give me any strength. I don't want to use it! _

But the intensity increased, the magic insistent. And inside the magic were the souls of her friends – everyone glowing in every color of the rainbow and adding their strength to hers.

_ Don't give up,  _ they said in one voice.  _ You have to win. For yourself, for Masaya – for everyone. _

“No, no, no,” Ichigo sobbed.

But the magic wouldn't give up on her, filling her up. She didn't want to! She didn't want to kill Masaya, even if it meant defeating Deep Blue!

A single, golden soul appeared before her.

_ “Ichigo,”  _ Leoti whispered.  _ “You're a mew mew. Not a Kyaldian.” _

“What does that mean?” Ichigo said.

_ “You became a mew to protect the Earth. Not to fight anyone, but to protect everyone. Ichigo. Your power is healing.” _

Leoti's transparent hands pushed the magic gently into her hands.

_ “Go on, Mew Ichigo,” _ she breathed.  _ “For everyone.” _

Wings sprouted from the light in Ichigo's hands as Leoti faded from sight. The giant winged bell appeared before her.

_ Your power is healing. _

Ichigo sniffled once and wiped her tears. Then she stopped resisting, and let the power of the Mew Aqua fill her.

Instantly she was drowning in the power. She might have screamed – she couldn't tell. This wasn't just magic – this was alive. This was the force that sustained her – sustained everything in the universe! She was holding life itself in her heart. For a moment, she saw everything: every time, place, person, and creature all at once. Then she knew what she was supposed to do. And for a moment, she was afraid.

Ichigo lifted the bell.

“Ribbon Strawberry Check Healing,” she said.

And the power rushed forth.

Deep Blue screamed, a wordless scream of rage. Then he was gone, and Masaya was left. The world disappeared around the two of them, leaving them hovering in a world of light. Ichigo quivered with the power, and trembled with the knowledge of what she had to do.

“Ichigo!”

Masaya ran to her.

“Ichigo, what happened? I should be – I was releasing the Mew Aqua inside of me – ”

Ichigo put her hand to his chest, quivering. Then she drew her hand away, the piece of Mew Aqua from within him hovering above her palm. For a moment, Masaya saw the truth in her eyes.

“Ichigo?” he said.

Ichigo stepped close to him, the Mew Aqua slipping inside of her.

“Masaya,” she whispered, close to tears. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he said, touching her hair gently. “Somehow...somehow you saved me. I should have died with Deep Blue.”

Ichigo didn't say anything, quietly embracing him.

“Kiss me,” she whispered.

Masaya paused. Then he slowly drew her chin upwards to look at him, and leaned in. His lips touched hers, and she reveled in the pure sweetness of it. Then slowly she drew away.

“Ichigo...what's going on?”

She stepped back, just out of his reach.

“I'm a mew mew,” she whispered. “My power is healing.”

The truth flashed across Masaya's eyes, and he stepped forward.

“Ichigo, no!”

“It's okay,” she said, tears dripping down her cheeks. “I was afraid before, but I'm not afraid now. I'm going to save everyone.”

“Ichigo!”

“Goodbye, Masaya,” she said. “I love you.”

Masaya made a grab for her, pulling her into his arms. He held her tightly as she slowly, slowly disappeared. Then the world vanished.

* * *

Far below the ship, Yuuto opened his eyes. For a moment, he wondered where he was. Then he remembered dying.

Bile rose in his throat, and he nearly threw up. But then he realized that Tanya was on top of him, and she too was opening her eyes.

“Yuuto-kun?” she murmured. “You're...”

She yelped and sat straight up, hugging him so tightly he thought he'd die again.

“You're alive!” she shrieked. “You're alive, you're alive, you're alive –”

Just as suddenly, she let him go and he tumbled face first onto the ground.

“ _ I'm  _ alive!” she said, eyes wide. “Or is this heaven?”

Yuuto groaned and sat up, rubbing his head. The ruined sanctuary met his eyes.

“If this is heaven, then I'm sorely disappointed,” he said.

Everyone else seemed to be sitting up, dazed but seemingly unhurt. Yuuto flinched as Foxfire started to sit up. But when he saw her face, the hard edge to her eyes had vanished.

“Leoti!” he said.

“It does appear to be me,” Leoti said. “I don't feel Foxfire anymore. I also appear to be alive. Odd. Very, very odd.”

“Odd is the only word you could come up with?” Kendra said, rubbing her temple.

Yuuto tried to think back. What had happened? Foxfire had stabbed him...then a huge blank filled his memory, as though he had just been asleep.

“How are we all alive?” Mint asked.

“What's with all these flowers?” Orla asked.

Yuuto looked around. There  _ were  _ flowers. Everywhere, dotting every inch of bare earth. Those hadn't been there before, had they? There were trees too, big conifers and oaks surrounding the outside of the sanctuary. And before his eyes, a small green vine grew through the rubble behind him. It bloomed into a white flower, then closed up and grew into a ruby red strawberry.

Lettuce gasped.

“Ichigo,” she said.

And suddenly, Yuuto remembered – caught in a stream of light, feeling everything, seeing everything – every time, place, person and creature all at once. Then Kish, then Ichigo. Then nothing. Instantly, the memories vanished except for the ones about Kish and Ichigo. He could remember nothing of his time in the stream of light.

“What about Ichigo?” he said. “I mean, I remember something about her, but what...”

Leoti's eyes flashed with fear.

“We need to get up there. Now.”

She surged to her feet, staring up at the ship.

“But if we're alive now...”

Yuuto was surprised to see the hint of fear in her eyes.

“We may already be too late.”

* * *

Masaya jerked awake. Ichigo lay motionless beside him. Her eyes were closed, as though she was only asleep. But he knew better. Still, he went to her immediately.

“Ichigo! Ichigo!”

But she was unmoving, limp in his hands. He pulled her into his arms, and her head flopped back. His soul felt suddenly empty. No tears came. Nothing. He just held her, frozen. Unwilling to let her go.

Kish and Mairead appeared in the stairway at the end of the room.

“Masaya!” Mairead gasped. “You're okay!”

Kish's yellow eyes had already locked onto Ichigo's limp form.

“No,” he said. “It can't be.”

Masaya looked at him helplessly. Now the tears were starting to well up, and he shut his eyes against them.

Tanya appeared at the top of the stairway on the opposite side from Kish and Mairead.

“I found them!” she shouted. “Masaya and Kish and Mairead! They're all okay!”

Mint and Lettuce came next, and the others crowded in behind them.

“What about Ichigo?” Mint demanded. “Where is she?”

Then their eyes fell upon the fallen Ichigo in Masaya's arms.

“No,” Zakuro whispered.

“Ichigo-oneechan!” Pudding shouted, running forward.

Zakuro caught her, and the little girl stopped, sobbing.

They might have all stood there forever, crying. But then the ship began to shake, and debris began to fall from the ceiling.

Kish came forward, gripping Masaya's shoulder.

“We have to go.”

“I'm not leaving Ichigo.”

“Take her with us. Just hang on.”

The air rippled, and they reappeared just outside the temple. The ship drifted at an odd angle, veering towards the ground.

“It'll crush people,” Lettuce said, eyes wide.

Leoti closed her eyes, raising one palm. The ship began to disintegrate, vanishing into tiny particles.

“The last traces of Azulda and Deep Blue are gone,” she said softly. “Ichigo gave up everything, her whole essence, so that we would come back.”

Pudding sniffled again. Kish's fists clenched, quivering with anger and sorrow.

“It's not fair,” he said. “It's not.”

“Ichigo...” Kendra murmured.

Mairead shook her head.

“No, it can't be over,” she said. “Masaya, don't let it be over.”

Masaya met her gaze helplessly.

“What can I do?” he said. “I couldn't stop her. I couldn't do anything to change her mind. I can't even save her now.”

“No,” Mairead said. “I think you can.”

Her bright blue eyes were unwavering.

“Masaya, you had Kyalda inside of you before.”

“Ichigo took it from me.”

“Masaya...you might have the ability to bring her back. To heal, the way she did.”

He looked down at Ichigo's quiet face. She looked so peaceful. Like she was only sleeping.

Maybe she was. Maybe he could wake her up.

Slowly, Masaya leaned forward. He hesitated, then touched his lips to her. For a moment, nothing happened. He broke away, feeling worse than before. Then Ichigo started to glow. Mew Aqua blue coursed through her, lifting her out of his arms. Then just as suddenly, it was over. She dropped back into his arms.

Then her chest rose and fell softly. Her eyes cracked open and found Masaya.

“Is this heaven?” she whispered.

Masaya laughed through his tears.

“It might as well be,” he said.

Then her eyes opened fully and she realized what had happened.

“Masaya!”

She hugged him tightly. Pudding yelled triumphantly, and Masaya let Ichigo slide to her feet. She turned and fell into a ginormous group hug.

Their laughter and happiness reached all the way to the sky, where five souls waited. Then, satisfied that their job was done, they faded back into the plane from which they had come.

Kish and Mairead stepped away from the reunion, after making sure Ichigo was alright. Mairead leaned against him, and he enjoyed the feeling her against him.

“I love you,” she whispered.

“I love you too.”

She squeezed his hand.

“Let's not do any of that ever again.”

Kish laughed.

“Agreed.”

The sun set peacefully that day.


End file.
